The Fraggle From Outer Space
by Whimsy Floof
Summary: A strange new fraggle arrives in Fraggle Rock after having been raised by silly creatures in Outer Space. It's up to Gobo and the others to welcome her and show her the ropes.
1. Chapter 1

The Fraggle From Outer Space

_Dear Nephew Gobo,_

_I was in the process of making several new friends when I stumbled upon a most unexpected sight. It was a fraggle! I have found a fraggle living in Outer Space! Her name is Goldie, and she is very anxious to meet her fellow fraggles. She is a strange one I must warn you, as she doesn't seem to know much about fraggle customs. However, as all fraggles do, she is of wholesome character and shares a love for fun and music. For that reason, I have given her the address to which I send these postcards in the hopes that she can venture to Fraggle Rock and learn everything there is to know about being a fraggle. I know I can count on you and the others, Nephew, to show her around the Rock. If she decides to take this opportunity, you should be seeing her within the next few days._

_Love,_

_Your Uncle Traveling Matt_

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**

Chapter 1

"Finally! I've found it!"

The thin, shaggy, gray dog awoke to his master's sudden shout after having just fallen asleep. Slowly he turned his head to see the mildly eccentric old man holding up what looked like a very large photo album.

"Come on, Sprocket! Come up here and see!"

With a loud yawn, he slowly got up from his bed and trotted his way to the old workbench where old Doc did all his work. He hoisted himself up on his hind legs so he could see the album as it was laid down on the workbench in front of him.

"It's a photographic record of my family's history. Did you know that my ancestors were from Ireland?"

"Rohhhh!" he barked in mock disbelief.

"Yes, it's true. Here is my great-grandfather on the boat from Ireland. And that's my great-grandmother standing beside him, and the baby in her arms is my grandfather."

"Rarr? Ar Ar Ar!"

"Well, of course it's important! This photo album is something special to me! Sprocket, haven't you ever wondered where you came from? What your ancestors were like and what they did?"

"Reh," He shrugged and then dropped down from the workbench so he could trot back to his nice comfy bed.

Doc followed his dog down to his doggy bed and knelt down beside him.

"Now, you don't mean to tell me that you've never even thought of it."

Sprocket looked up at his old friend for a moment, and then tilted his front paw left and right, tilting his head in time with it.

"What if I told you that your ancestors were wolves?"

The dog stopped his tilting and lifted an eyebrow at the suggestion.

"Arrr?" He questioned, tipping his head aside.

"It's true. All domestic breeds of dogs were descended from wolves, and that includes you."

"Rarroh?"

"Yes, really. I'll bet that deep down inside you are all sorts of wild animal instincts that have been laid dormant over the generations."

Sprockets long floppy ears perked up.

"Say, I've got an idea. How about we take the week off and go on a camping trip? Go out into the wild home of your ancestors."

He gasped with eagerness and began to bounce in his bed.

"Ar! Ar! Ar! Ar! Ar! Ar! Ar! Ar!"

"Alright alright, Sprocket! Settle down! He have to get everything ready."

"ARROOOOO! Ar! Ar! Ar! ARROOOOO!"

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Deep down in the rock beneath Doc's house was a quick and steady rhythmic beat, growing louder and clearer the deeper one went. Eventually, the beat was accompanied by other equally rhythmic sounds. Then when we've reached the clearing below, the sounds blast to life as dozens of furry fraggles bounce around singing and dancing and clapping along to their fun and festive music as it echoes throughout the Great Hall.

The doozers busy at work as usual, building their doozer constructions. All around the Great Hall, seemingly undisturbed by the fraggles and their constant playing, singing, and partying.

_ (Fraggles)_

_Dance your cares away._

_Worry's for another day._

_Let the music play_

_Down at Fraggle Rock!_

_(Doozers)_

_Work your cares away._

_Dancing's for another day._

_(Fraggles)_

_Let the fraggles play._

_Down at Fraggle Rock!_

_Dance your cares away!_

_Worry's for another day._

_Let the music play_

_Down at Fraggle Rock!_

_Down at Fraggle Rock!_

_Down at Fraggle Rock!_

"Down in the dumps is more like it!"

A short bluish-green fraggle with bright red shaggy hair, and a brown cap on his head marched into the Great Hall in his usual air of woe.

Most of the other fraggles, seeing as the song was finished, went back to what they were doing. Four fraggles in particular approached the small and woeful fraggle. A yellow fraggle of red sweater and big red pigtails hopped up to him carrying one end of a large banner in her hands, while the other end had already been hung to the rock wall on the one side of the Great Hall.

"Hey, Boober! It's about time you showed up!"

"I'm not here for this silly party, Red!"

"Well, you're here, aren't you?"

An orange fraggle with purple hair jumped down beside her after having just finished hanging up some paper chains. He was wearing a yellow shirt with red stripes and a brown vest over it.

"Yeah, Boober," he added, "We were beginning to wonder if you were gonna come at all. We're almost done getting the welcome party together."

"I would've preferred not to have come at all, Gobo," Boober explained, "This whole thing reeks of death and pestilence."

A tall purple fraggle of long green hair and a long brown open-front sweater walked up behind Boober and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Oh, don't be silly, Boober. There's nothing to be worried about."

"Mokey, of course there is!" Boober insisted, "This fraggle's coming here from Outer Space!"

A short greenish-yellow fraggle with matching yellow hair and a colorful palm tree shirt happily hopped in among them.

"Yeah, aren't you excited? I mean seriously, a fraggle from Outer Space! Who'da thunk it, huh?"

"Wembley, that's exactly what I'm afraid of," Boober replied, "This fraggle's been living in Outer Space her whole life! Do you realize what this means?"

"No, what?"

"A lifetime's worth of germs from Outer Space! Who knows what sorts of horrible diseases she'll bring with her?! I am telling you we're all doomed!"

"Boober, that has got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say," Red rolled her eyes, "Next to that whole thing about it being bad luck to tug on your tail."

"But it IS bad luck to tug on your tail. I've seen it!"

"Seriously, Boober, you worry too much," Gobo said as he reached into his vest pocket and whipped out his uncle's postcard, "My Uncle Matt entrusted all of us to teach her about being a fraggle. So when she gets here, we have to show her everything."

"That's IF she gets here," Red said, "She got her directions from HIM, after all."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? My Uncle Matt has an excellent sense of direction. If anyone can get her here, he can."

"HA! Please! That fraggle couldn't lead a fish to water on a rainy day. If she ever gets here at all, it'd be a miracle."

"And if she never gets here at all, it'll be a great relief."

"If you're so worried, Boober, then why did you join us out here?" Gobo asked.

"I'm out to get more rock soap, and the Great Hall just happened to be on the way. So if you'll excuse me, I'll be going the rest of the way."

Without another word, Boober marched his way past the others and out of sight.

"You don't suppose it's true, do you, Gobo?" Wembley asked. "About the germs from Outer Space?"

"Wembley, don't be ridiculous!"

"Yeah, Wembley," Red added, "That's just Boober being his usual paranoid self. He'll probably get over it once this Goldie gets here."

"Probably," Mokey said. "I wonder what she's like."

"I'll bet she'll be really good at Rock Hockey," Red suggested.

"Well, one thing's for sure," Gobo said, "She's got a nose for adventure if she's coming all this way from Outer Space."

"Yeah, no kidding," Wembley agreed, "I mean, Outer Space is a really huge place, isn't it? I'll bet she'd have to be just as brave as your Uncle Matt."

"If not more so," Mokey added, "It's so exciting, isn't it?"

"Yeah well," Red replied as she started climbing up the other rock wall, "It'll be even more exciting once we get this party started."

The others nodded as they watched Red hang the other end of the banner, which had "Welcome, Goldie Fraggle!" painted on it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

While Doc was making a final check on his preparations, Sprocket was already raring to go. He was all set to go camping, having packed all the essentials; especially his bones and favorite chew toys.

Finally, the old man turned to his faithful dog and proclaimed:

"Alright, Sprockey. You ready to go?"

"ARROOOOO!"

"Then let's not waste any more time," he laughed, "I'll just grab the mail before we go, and I'll sort through it when we get back."

He opened the door, and Sprocket happily trotted out of it. Doc went and got the contents out of his mailbox, and he dropped them down on top of the workbench.

Doc picked up his camping gear and followed Sprocket out, shutting the door behind him and locking it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The workshop was very quiet after that, without the old man tinkering with his usual harebrained inventions or the dog barking at the large hole in the wall. For several minutes, all was silent. And then there was a knock at the door.

"Hello?" said the small voice from the other side of the door as the knocking continued. "Hello? Is anyone home?"

After a few more attempts, the knocking stopped.

"I guess not. Hmm... Ah-ha!"

There were some dragging noises, and then the sounds of the locks coming undone. Then the door opened, and a pale yellow fraggle with pink and blue hair strolled in, wearing a bright red t-shirt and carrying and large brown suitcase. (Large for her anyway) She raised her hand up and shook her head at the key in her hand.

"Leaving the key under the doormat. Geez, this guy's practically BEGGING for a break-in."

After walking in, she placed the key back under the mat where she'd found it, shut the door, and locked it back up.

"Now, let's see. Have to make sure I'm in the right place."

She pulled out the postcard Matt had given her with the address she was to go to. Then she spotted the mail up on the workbench. She climbed up onto the stool so she could look at the mail.

"Looks like the same address. Doc, huh? Hello..."

She spotted a postcard buried in the pile and pulled it out.

"Dear Nephew Gobo. Yep, this is the place alright. I'd better take this with me so I can give it to Gobo when I meet him. Now, let me see. I think Matt said something about a tunnel."

She pocketed both postcards and hopped down from the stool. She looked around the workshop, immediately noting the various tools hung all across the workbench and the collection of discarded inventions strewn around the place.

"Yeesh, look at all this junk! This Doc guy must be some kind of crazy tinkerer or something. With someone like this living here, no wonder Matt called the humans 'silly creatures'."

She stopped when her foot bumped into a large yellow bowl labeled "Sprocket".

"And a dog."

Then she noted the large dog bed beside it.

"A very big dog. That must be our hairy monster."

She turned around from the bed, and there in front of her was a fraggle-sized hole in the wall.

"And that must be the tunnel to Fraggle Rock."

She stepped into the hole and slowly made her way down the tunnel.

"Hello?" she called, "Anyone there?"

Nothing came back but the echo of her own voice and the ringing of the pipes that decorated the walls of the tunnel. She kept walking, ducking under one of the overhanging pipes. If she kept going down the tunnel, she figured, she would eventually find someone.

Just a few minutes of walking, an already the scenery began to change. The pipes grew fewer in number, gradually replaced by vines and flowers. Eventually the tunnel began to spread out, splitting off in several directions. Stalagmites and stalactites, pillars and boulders, crevices, nooks, and cracks all in rocks of strange and beautiful colors.

And as she kept walking, she could feel a strange yet comfortable feeling. It was a feeling she'd never felt before. Something that was calling to her, feeling like it was flowing through her. Something new to her, and yet so familiar. The young fraggle, as she explored the cave, let this feeling surge through her and burst out in the best way that fraggles know how.

_ (Goldie)_

_This is really something, almost like a dream._

_Everything's a wonder. Nothing's what it seems._

_Everywhere there's something new for me to see._

_Let me tell you, this is something strange to me._

The local cave creatures watched intently as she walked and sang, looking around at everything she passed.

_(Goldie)_

_This is sort of different, almost too bizarre._

_It's too late to turn back cuz I've come too far._

_(Goldie & Cave Creatures)_

_Everywhere there's something more for me to see._

_(Goldie)_

_I think I'll be going. Please don't follow me._

Goldie, nervous from having these strange little creatures join her in song, quickly ran down the next tunnel. She took a moment to catch her breath and look around for more strange creatures.

_(Goldie)_

_That was kinda creepy. This is all too weird._

_What are all these noises echoing in here?_

_Everywhere there's something new for me to hear._

_I don't know where I am s'posed to go from here._

She stopped by a large rock, climbed on top of it, and sat down to rest, setting her suitcase down on top of her lap. The strange new feeling she felt began to slow down and fade, as if coming to the end of a song. As she sat there on that rock expressing her thoughts to herself, she came to a very odd realization.

_Great, I think I'm lost now... Why'm I still in song?_

_Okay, that can stop now. This has gone too long._

_Everywhere there's someplace new for me to roam._

_Now I start to think I should've stayed at home._

She decided to just sit there for a while after that, arms crossed over her suitcase, not opening her mouth for anything. The last thing she wanted at the moment was to start another verse. How annoying, she thought. At this point, she could've cared less if she ever saw another fraggle.

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_**Song Credits:**  
- Fraggle Rock Theme  
- This is Really Something – Based in the tune of "The Remembering Song" from the episode "Boober Rock"_

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	2. Chapter 2

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**

Chapter 2

Somewhere deep in the Rock, a lost and annoyed little fraggle walked through tunnel after tunnel, suitcase in hand. Goldie hadn't spoken a word for several minutes, worried that she'd break into another song. As she walked, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened. It wasn't strange to her that she broke into song like she did, having done so her entire life. What bugged her was the fact that she couldn't stop. That the song just kept going.

Her train of thought was halted when she saw something strange in her path. It looked like a miniature bridge made of a strange translucent white material. The bridge was surrounded by a small collection of thin towers of various heights.

"So weird," she said to herself, "And yet so beautiful."

"You like it?" asked a small voice from off to the side.

Goldie looked around, but couldn't see where the voice was coming from.

"Who said that?"

"I did."

Again, the strange voice was nowhere to be seen.

"Where?"

"Over here."

Finally, Goldie looked on the bridge to see a tiny all-terrain vehicle being driven by a tiny green creature with a large pink nose, stringy red hair and a pair of long stringy antennae sticking up from the visor she wore around her head. The only other thing she wore was a pair of yellow work boots.

"Who are you?"

"Name's Cotterpin. Cotterpin Doozer."

"Did you make all this, Cotterpin?"

"You bet I did. And it's my own design, too. My crew worked all day on it."

"It's really beautiful."

"Why, thank you. I'm glad to see a fraggle that can appreciate the artistic value of good doozer architecture. So... Ya gonna eat it or what?"

"What?! Eat it? Why would I wanna eat it?"

"Um... Cuz it's delicious?"

"But you worked all day on this!"

"Geez, you're denser than other fraggles I've met. You act like you've never seen a doozer construction before! Don't they have doozers where you come from?"

"No, they don't! You're the first doozer I've ever met!"

"Oh... Well, that's explains everything. Okay, here's basically how it works. The doozers—that's us—build the constructions, and the fraggles—that's you—eat them. Then we build them again, and then you eat them again."

"Seems like such a waste to spend so much time on something that's just gonna be eaten."

"We doozers live to build things. You eating them just makes room for us to build more. If you don't wanna eat it, then the least you can do is knock it all down for us."

"I suppose this would be like spending all day baking a fabulous cake just to have it eaten by whoever bought it."

"Um, sure. Like baking a fabulous cake."

...Even though the little doozer had no idea what a 'fabulous cake' was. All she knew was that she was talking to a very weird and confused fraggle. It was like talking to someone from a completely different world.

"If fraggles eat this on a regular basis, then I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try it."

"Good. I'll leave you to it. I haven't met a fraggle yet that doesn't like doozer constructions, so I'm sure you'll have no trouble finishing this one off for us."

Cotterpin jerked her tiny ATV forward, and then backward, gradually turning it around. All the while, she was trying her hardest not to laugh at the poor clueless fraggle.

"Wait, Cotterpin! Where do I start?"

She only stopped her ATV for a moment before finally driving away.

"Just break off a piece from wherever and start munching. And if you can't eat it all in one sitting, just eat what you can and knock down the rest."

And with that, she drove away, waiting until she was out of earshot to finally bust up laughing.

"Oh boy, that was rich! A fraggle that's never seen a doozer before. Wait'll I tell the crew about this."

Goldie, stood staring at the structure.

"Fraggles really eat these things?"

She slowly reached to it and broke a stick off from one of the towers.

"It doesn't even look edible."

She sniffed at it, noting a slight scent of radishes.

"Well, here goes."

She stuck the stick in her mouth and crunched off a piece in her teeth. She scrunched her eyes as she chewed, not sure what to expect. Surprisingly, she found that, after chewing on it a bit, she really liked it. She finished that stick and then proceeded to take apart more sticks from the doozer construction, crunching them down by the handful.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, Gobo, when do you suppose Goldie's gonna get here, huh?"

Gobo was on his way to Outer Space to retrieve the latest postcard from his uncle, and to check if maybe Goldie had arrived yet. Wembley, ever excited and eager as anyone to meet the new fraggle, decided to follow him.

"For the last time, Wembley, I don't know. Uncle Matt said she'd get here within a few days."

Gobo ducked under the overhanging pipe and made his way to the hole.

"Well, yeah but—Dow!" Wembley yelped as he banged his head on the pipe, shook it off, and kept walking. "Well, it's already been a few days and then some."

"I know that. Now be quiet. We're here."

Gobo peeked through the hole, and to his surprise, the coast was clear. He stepped out from the hole and looked around.

"Hmm. Looks like they're gone for now. That just makes things easier for me."

He strolled over to the wastebasket and dug through the crumpled papers for the postcard. To his amazement, there wasn't a postcard to be found.

"Well, that's funny."

He dug deeper, but still he found no postcard. After about a minute or so of digging, he finally gave up and went back into the hole.

"What happened, Gobo?"

"The oddest thing. The silly creatures aren't out there, and neither is Uncle Matt's postcard."

Gobo started his way back into the rock with Wembley following close behind him.

"That is odd. Hey! Maybe Goldie got here while the silly creatures were out, found the postcard, and took it with her so she could give it to you later, and maybe she's somewhere in the Rock looking for us. Whaddaya think, Gobo?"

Gobo stopped for a moment and looked back at his little yellow friend.

"Wembley, if that was the case, I'm pretty sure one of us would've seen her by now."

He turned back around and continued walking. Wembley paused and thought for a moment before continuing behind him.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I mean what're the odds of that happening, right?"

"Right."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Goldie finally had enough of the doozer sticks, there wasn't much of the construction left but a small pile. She rubbed her stomach happily. This place wasn't so bad, she thought, with snack foods like this lying around.

She picked up her suitcase and was about to continue walking when she heard a noise.

It was the sound of small rocks being picked up and moved. She walked towards the noise, hoping to finally find what she was looking for. What she found was a bluish-green fraggle gathering some small white rocks. Finally, she thought. She'd finally found another fraggle. She walked up behind him and tapped his shoulder.

"Excuse me."

"AH!"

The poor fraggle jumped, dropping all the stones he'd collected.

"What do you think you're doing sneaking up on a fraggle like that?!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Ugh!"

Boober growled as he dropped back down to the ground to start picking the stones back up. Goldie dropped her suitcase so she could get down and help him.

"I'm really sorry about that."

"It's just as well. Rock soap is incredibly slippery. It's a wonder I ever get any of it home."

"Hey, maybe this'll help."

She opened her suitcase and pulled out a brown paper bag. She opened that up and dropped the rocks she'd already collected inside it. She placed the bag down on the ground in between them.

"There."

He looked at the bag for a moment and then up at Goldie. He slowly dropped the rocks he'd collected into the bag. Goldie closed up the bag as they both stood back up. She held the bag up for him to take.

"Should be easier to take them home now."

He looked down at the bag, and back up at Goldie again. Slowly, he took the bag from her.

"Thank you," he said uneasily.

"Glad I could help."

She closed her suitcase and picked it back up.

"I need to get to a place called the Great Hall. Can you tell me where that is?"

"It's down that tunnel to the right. It's on the way to my hole, so you can just follow me there."

"Thanks."

She followed the short green fraggle down the tunnel, relieved that she finally wasn't lost anymore.

"So. Where are you from?"

"What?"

"You're obviously not from this part of the Rock if you got yourself lost in the Soap Rock Cavern."

"Oh, I'm not from the Rock at all."

He stopped all of a sudden, turned around, and stared at Goldie for a long moment.

"Not from the Rock?"

"Nope. I come from outside the rock. I think Matt called it Outer Space?"

"Outer... Outer Space? You're from Outer Space?!"

"Um, yeah. Why? What's the matter?"

As she kept talking, he started to tremble wildly, the bag of rocks beginning to rattle in his arms. After a long moment of staring and trembling, he gave out a loud shriek as he threw the bag in the air and fled down the tunnel.

"Hey! Wait!"

Goldie grabbed the bag and gave chase. Why was he running away from her? She certainly didn't know, but she was going to find out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Over in the Great Hall, Gobo was telling Red and Mokey about what he and Wembley saw in Outer Space. Red, as usual, was unimpressed.

"So the postcard didn't get here today. Big deal. You know that sometimes it comes a day or two late."

"Yeah, I know that, Red, but I can't help but think there's more to it than just arriving late."

Mokey placed a hand on Gobo's shoulder.

"Don't you worry, Gobo. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation."

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!"

"That sounded like Boober," Wembley pointed out.

They were about to start running towards the scream when a bluish green blur ran past them, across the Great Hall, and straight towards Boober's room.

"What's gotten into HIM?" Red asked.

"Heeeeyyy!!!"

They turned their heads again to see a pale yellow fraggle running in, panting as she stopped right next to the baffled foursome.

"Did... you guys see... a blue fraggle... run through here?"

Red pointed in the direction Boober ran.

"He just went to his room."

"Scared out of his wits, too," Gobo added. "What was he running away from?"

"Heck if I know. I told him I was from Outer Space, and he just freaked out. I tell you, if this is the way you fraggles greet newcomers, I'm not sure I'll have much incentive to stick around here. But since I'm here..."

The other four fraggles watched as she pulled out the postcard she took from Doc's workbench.

"Which one of you here's Gobo?" 


	3. Chapter 3

_Dear Nephew Gobo,_

_I trust that Goldie has arrived safely to Fraggle Rock by now and that she had no problems finding it. I don't see why she would, since the directions I had given her were incredibly simple. Why, I'd be so bold as to say they were absolutely foolproof. I'd love to write more, but I find myself in a bit of a rush today. So I'll write you more when I once again have settled down. Say hello to Goldie for me when you meet her._

_Love,_

_Your Uncle Traveling Matt_

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**

Chapter 3

"Love, Your Uncle Traveling Matt," Gobo finished reading aloud.

After the bewildered fraggles finished acquainting themselves with the strange newcomer from Outer Space, Gobo had proceeded to read aloud the latest postcard from his uncle. Goldie rolled her eyes with every other sentence he read.

"Let me tell you something, Gobo. Your uncle's either a moron or a liar."

Red started to giggle, although she was trying to restrain it. Gobo glared at Red, who didn't stop laughing, and then he looked again to Goldie.

"He's not either! He's one of the best explorers there ever was, if not THE best!"

"Gobo, the directions he gave me were just about impossible to follow. Half the time I was just trying to figure out what the heck he was trying to describe. I'm amazed he even knew what an address was, let alone be able to give it to me. After a while I gave up trying to decipher his directions and just looked up the address."

Red couldn't stand it any longer. The more she heard, the more she struggled. Finally she exploded into a fit of hysterical laughter. The other four fraggles looked at her in confusion. After a good long moment of laughter, Red finally stopped and tried to catch her breath.

"Finally, a fraggle who agrees with me! You're gonna do just fine here, Goldie. Just stick with me, and you'll have nothing to worry about."

"Uh, thanks, Red."

Mokey stepped up, hands clasped together as she bounced with excitement.

"Oh, Goldie. You simply MUST tell us about Outer Space."

Wembley bounced in next to Mokey.

"Yeah, tell us about Outer Space, Goldie! And the Silly Creatures, too! And the hairy monsters, and the shiny creatures, and the giant fraggle ponds!"

"The what?" Goldie blinked in confusion.

"Hang on a minute!" Gobo jumped in, "She only just got here. I think we should get on with the party first. Don't you think?"

"Yeah!" Red agreed, "Let's party!"

"Party time!"

"Hip Hip Hooray!"

"Hip Hip Hooray!"

Goldie watched in amazement as dozens of fraggles appeared from seemingly nowhere to join in the celebration.

_(Fraggles)_

_Hey!_

_Hip Hip Hooray!_

_We're gonna dance and sing all day!_

_So come on in. Let the fun begin,_

_Cuz now it's time to play._

_Hip Hip Hooree!_

_We're gonna sing for you and me!_

_We're glad you're here. Let's give a cheer._

_And have a jamboree._

_Hip Hip Haroo!_

_We're gonna sing for me and you!_

_We're having fun. This song is done._

_So on to something new._

_Hip Hip Hooray!_

_Hip Hip Hooray!_

_Hip Hip Hooray!!!_

Goldie stood there and watched as the seemingly choreographed performance played itself out. As the other fraggles continued singing in the background, Mokey stepped away from the crowd and approached the bewildered Goldie.

"Well, what's the matter, Goldie?"

"You guys did all this just for me?"

"Oh yes. We just want you to feel welcome. Don't you like it?"

"Well, yes, but--"

"Good," Red popped up seemingly out of nowhere. "Let's show you to your room so you can put your stuff down. Follow me."

As Red and Mokey began to walk off, Goldie took one last look at the party decorations and followed them off.

"So I get my own room?"

"Sure you do," Red answered, "And best of all, it's right next to ours. So if you need us for anything, we're right there."

"Cool."

Mokey looked back at Goldie, puzzled by the word she chose.

"Well no, it's pretty warm actually. But if you want it cooled down, I'm sure we can think of something."

"Uh, no. It's just an expression."

Mokey then slowed down and walked with Goldie, fascinated by this new knowledge.

"Ooh, an expression from Outer Space?"

"Um, yeah. The humans say it to describe something they like."

"Humans?"

"Uh, I think you call them 'silly creatures'?"

"Oh! Of course! It's a silly creature term. Oh, you have to tell us more about the silly creatures."

Red rolled her eyes at her best friend's apparent infatuation with this new information.

"Mokey, please."

"What? I think it's fascinating. She could teach us so much about Outer Space that even Uncle Matt hasn't seen yet."

"Who cares? We're here."

The three stopped at the entrance to a small nook in the rock, just big enough for one fraggle to make herself at home. Goldie stepped into the hole and down a small set of steps into this small, but spacious hole, looking around at the empty hole. The room had windows on two of the walls. There was one beside the door and one large one on the sidewall looking out to the Great Hall. There were also two large rocks in the room: one large rock beside the larger window, big enough for a fraggle to lie on, and a much larger one in the center of the room that could easily serve as a table.

"So whaddaya think?" asked Red.

Goldie turned to the other two and put her suitcase and the paper bag of rock soap down on the rock table.

"I think I'm gonna like it here."

"That's wonderful," Mokey replied as she stepped in with Goldie, "Now we have to take you to see the Trash Heap."

"Say what?!"

The very idea of it threw her for a loop. A trash heap? They wanted to take her to see a heap of trash? Why, she thought?

"Yeah, that's right," Red added, as if reminded of something important. "We promised Madame Trash Heap we'd introduce you to her when you got here."

Now she was really confused.

"Madame... Trash Heap?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, come on, Boober! You can't stay in there forever, eh!"

"Yeah, Boober, Gobo's right!"

The entrance to Boober's room was blocked by a large sheet that Boober had pinned on all sides to the rock. Boober wanted to make sure nobody could get in. The window was equally blocked so no one could look inside either. Gobo and Wembley were right outside trying to reason with the cowering fraggle inside.

"Oh, yes I can!" Boober yelled back from inside.

"Okay, so maybe he can..."

"Wembley."

"Sorry, Gobo."

"Boober, you're being irrational! What are you so afraid of?"

"What else, Gobo? Germs! Horrible, yucky, disgusting germs from Outer Space! And now that Goldie's here, my only hope is to quarantine myself from the rest of the Rock so I don't get infected!"

"You know, he's right, Gobo. Those germs can be really sneaky."

"Wembley, you're not helping."

"Sorry, Gobo."

"I don't care what anyone says!" Boober continued, "I'm not coming out, and that's that!"

"You know what, Boober? Fine! Stay in there! It's your loss!"

"Fine! I will!"

"Well fine!"

"Fine!"

Exasperated, Gobo marched away to go about his business. Wembley, now confused by the outcome of the argument, looked back and forth between the blocked doorway and the angry marching fraggle. After a few seconds, he decided to follow Gobo.

"Uh, hey, Gobo! Wait for me!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So let me get this straight," Goldie said as the three of them made their way up a tunnel that stopped at an opening to the outside. "You go out and seek advice and wisdom... from a giant pile of trash?"

"That's right," Red answered as they stopped at the exit of the tunnel. "Whenever we have a problem, the Trash Heap always has the answers."

""

Red peeked out of the hole and looked around outside. Then she stepped out.

"Okay, the coast is clear."

Goldie and Mokey followed her out of the hole and began walking along the huge wall of stone.

"Clear of what?"

"Gorgs."

"Gorgs?"

"Stick around long enough, you'll see one eventually."

"Well," Mokey added, "At least there aren't any outside the castle right now."

"Which is weird, because usually we'd see at least Junior Gorg by now."

Goldie blinked in confusion.

"Castle? What castle?"

They walked past a gap in the wall that revealed the vegetable garden and castle beyond the wall. Goldie could hardly believe her eyes. It was enormous. Bigger than any skyscraper she'd ever seen. Red stepped back and nudged Goldie.

"That castle."

They continued on their way, past the gap to the far end of the garden. The three stopped in front of a gigantic pile of trash.

"Madame Trash Heap," Mokey greeted, "Goldie's here. We brought her here to see you."

Goldie watched as Mokey spoke to the large and motionless trash heap. She was beginning to think that maybe coming to this strange place wasn't such a good idea. Then she heard a small and grungy voice speaking from inside the pile.

"Greetin's and salutations."

Then another.

"You are in the presence of..."

"The all-knowing..."

"The all-seeing..."

Then both the voices said together as two strange rat-looking creatures popped up into view:

"Trash Heap! Nyeh!"

Goldie blinked at the two rodent-like creatures. And then glared at Red and Mokey.

"Why did they bring me here?" she thought to herself.

Then one of the rodent things started tapping at the pile they sat on.

"Hey, Marjory, wake up! We got company!"

Goldie was just thinking how stupid this all was when the pile suddenly began to rise. She watched as a face and a pair of hands appeared in the seemingly lifeless trash heap. Imagine her shock when the thing started talking.

"Oh! The new fraggle! How wonderful! You can't imagine how excited I've am to meet you. Oh, don't just stand there pointing at me with your mouth hanging open, child! Speak to me!"

But she couldn't speak. She stood there, pointing and gawking at the talking mound of garbage.

"Ah... Ah... Ah..."

"Look at that, Marjory. She's speechless."

"She acts like she's never seen a trash heap before."

Red and Mokey couldn't help but stare at the stunned fraggle standing between them.

"Goldie, what's the matter with you?" asked Red.

"Aren't you going to say 'hi' to Madame Trash Heap?" Mokey added.

"Ah... Trash? Talking? T-t-talking trash? Speaking? With the words? And the speaking? And the moving?"

"Mokey, she's cracked!"

"Oh my goodness! What do we do?"

"I've got just the thing," replied the Trash Heap. "Philo? Gunge?"

"On it, Marjory!"

The two both climbed down from her mountainous form and over behind Goldie while she continued gawking and rambling.

"Stand back. Ready?"

"Go!"

Together they bit down on Goldie's tail, snapping her out of her daze.

"OW! Hey!"

"Peh! You're welcome."

Goldie grabbed her tail and massaged her new wounds, and the two rodents spat as they climbed back up on their perches on the Trash Heap's "shoulders".

"Now," Madame Trash Heap began, "Let's try this again. Hello, little fraggle."

"Uh... Hi, Madame Trash Heap."

"There, now. Was that so difficult?"

"I... I'm sorry. I've just never seen a talking trash heap before."

"Well, there's a first time for everything, isn't there? You come from the world beyond Fraggle Rock, do you not? The world Matt Fraggle is currently exploring."

"Yes."

"Well, let me tell you, little fraggle. You ain't seen nothing yet. This world is very different from the one you came from. In that world, magic is not believed to exist. You will discover many, many things here that would not make sense in that world. If you are to survive in the world of the fraggles, you must learn to expect the unexpected."

"Like the fact that I'm talking to a pile of garbage?"

"Hey, Marjory ain't no ordinary pile of garbage," The one called Philo objected

"She is the dispenser of cosmic wisdom," Gunge added.

"Boys, boys. Settle down. Yes, young fraggle. Just like you said. You'll see a great many things just as surprising."

"After seeing something like this, I don't think anything will shock me."

"We'll just see. Just remember what I told you. Just when you think you've seen everything, you'll see something completely new. Expect the unexpected. That is my advice to you."

"The Trash Heap has spoken! Nyeh!"

The three fraggles thanked the Trash Heap and went on their way back. Philo and Gunge watched intently as the strange new fraggle walked away.

"That fraggle's a real piece of work, ain't she?" Philo asked as he dove into the garbage below him.

Gunge nodded.

"Yeah, no kiddin'. Hey, Marjory. How is it you know so much about that other world, huh?"

"As has been said many times before, Gungy. The Trash Heap knows all."

Philo then popped back up into view.

"Yeah, well. It doesn't hurt that Traveling Matt Fraggle left us a few of these the last time he was here."

He laughed as he pulled out a torn and moldy issue of Reader's Digest. The Trash Heap couldn't help but laugh with him.

"Oh, ho ho. How right you are, Philo. How right you are."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, Goldie. What did Madame Heap mean when she said magic doesn't exist in Outer Space?"

The three of them were walking away from the Trash Heap and back towards the hole to Fraggle Rock.

"Exactly what she said. Where I come from, there is no magic, animals don't sing, and trash doesn't talk."

"That's awful," Mokey replied, "Where did you go when you needed to seek wisdom?"

"I got it from my family. They gave me all the support I ever needed."

Red and Mokey looked at each other in confusion. Then Red turned her gaze to Goldie.

"So why didn't they come with you to Fraggle Rock?"

Goldie was about to answer the question when her thoughts were interrupted by a loud thumping noise that shook the ground. Then there was another, and another. And then a loud voice called out to them:

"Fwaggles!"

"It's a gorg!" Mokey yelled, "Run!"

As Red and Mokey ran straight to the hole, Goldie made the mistake of looking up at the creature calling to them.

It was the hairiest, ugliest, most gigantic creature she'd ever seen in her life: a giant, at least twenty feet tall, with long brown hair all over its body, big googly eyes, tan shirt, and dark brown shoes. Watching the gorg as it started to run right towards her, Goldie stayed where she stood, completely unable to move.

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_**Song Credits:**_

_- Hip, Hip, Hooray—From the episode "Beginnings", lyrics slightly modified_

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	4. Chapter 4

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**

Chapter 4

Goldie stood in frozen in panic as Junior Gorg eagerly ran towards her.

"I'll get you, you pesky widdul fwaggle!"

She could only watch as the gorg jumped down to the ground and wrapped his huge hairy hand around Goldie, lifting her from where she stood.

"Hahaha! I got you now!"

The quivering, whimpering fraggle was beginning to see her life flashing before her now-watering eyes. After a long hard moment staring into the eyes of certain doom, she couldn't help but start bawling like a baby.

This confused Junior, because he'd never seen a fraggle cry before. He tipped his head, watching the tiny creature crying its eyes out.

"Hey..." he said in a softer tone, "H-h-hey c'mon. Don't cwy."

"Juuuuuniooor!" Another gorg sing-songed from inside the castle.

"Ohhh," Junior groaned and turned his head around, "Yeah, Ma!"

"I hope you're getting those rutabagas I asked you for."

"Ugh! Yes, Ma! I'm getting dem."

"Junior!" a third voice bellowed from inside the castle, this one loud and gritty. "You'd better not be out there catching fraggles again!"

"No, Pa!"

"Then hurry up an' git yer mother those rutabagas!"

"Yes, Pa!"

He turned his gaze back to the horrified fraggle in his fist, still crying rather loudly. He also noticed that two other fraggles had climbed up on his hand to try and pry her free.

"What? Hey!"

"Let 'er go, you big ugly gorg!" Red grunted as she pulled on Junior's thumb.

"B-b-but--"

"Junior! Where are my rutabagas?!"

"I'm coming, Mommy, but---"

"Grrr! Let go!"

"JUNIOR!!!"

"But, Pa! I--"

"AAAAAHHHH!!!! I DON'T WANNA DIIIIIIIE!!!"

"Let 'er go!!!"

"Alwight! Alwight! Alwight! I'll wet you go! Just pwease stop making dat howible noise!"

Junior finally released his grip on Goldie and backed away. Red and Mokey wasted no time yanking Goldie away immediately afterward. The poor confused Junior was left scratching his head as the three fraggles disappeared back into the large rock from whence they came.

"And what was DAT aw about? Eh. Oh well. Bettuh get dose wutabagas for Ma."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Red, Mokey, and Goldie made it safely back into the rock, all three panting from the sprint. Goldie was still wide-eyed with shock. Red grabbed her by the shoulder and started shaking her.

"Hey, Goldie. Snap out of it."

"There, there, Goldie," Mokey added, rubbing her shoulder, "The gorg's gone. You're safe now."

Slowly, Goldie regained her composure, although she still couldn't stop crying. Seeing a gorg like that was quite possibly the most horrible thing she'd ever experienced in her life. She looked to Red and Mokey, not really sure what to say.

"Are you alright?" Mokey asked.

"I... I think so."

"What happened out there, Goldie?" Red asked. "Why didn't you run from the gorg?"

"I don't know. I just froze. Then when that thing had me in his big, nasty, hairy hand... I just..."

Mokey stepped up and hugged Goldie as she started crying again.

"Shhh, there now, Goldie. It's alright. It's all over. Let's get you back to your cave, okay?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Later)

"I cannot believe how bad she freaked out at the Trash Heap."

After getting back from the gorgs' garden, Red and Mokey had brought Goldie back to her room so she could rest for the evening.

Red was lying on her hammock, softly swinging left and right on it as she thought out loud. Mokey was busy watering her night-blooming yellow-leaved deathwort, who eagerly waited with its big toothy mouth wide open.

"There you go, Lanford," Mokey said, and then started singing to herself as she watered.

"And the way she froze with that gorg! I mean how hard is it to just run away? Gorgs aren't that hard to get away from."

"There, now. Isn't that good?"

Lanford purred in response.

"Mokey, are you listening?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Red."

She put down her watering can and walked over to Red's hammock.

"You really shouldn't be so hard on Goldie. She's lived in Outer Space her whole life, after all. She's probably never seen a gorg before."

"So?"

"Don't you remember your first time seeing Junior Gorg coming at you?"

"No. It was a long time ago. I was too little to remember it."

"Well, I remember my first encounter with him. I was so frightened, I couldn't move. Just like Goldie was today. So you see, Red, it's perfectly normal. She'll probably feel better in the morning."

"If she can sleep after all that. Her first day in Fraggle Rock and she gets caught by a gorg. I don't think I could sleep after something like that."

"Well, yes. There's that too. I suppose that means we'll just have to be extra accommodating so she feels extra welcome."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goldie stared at the rocky ceiling above her as she lay quietly on the futon she'd rolled out on one of the large rocks in the room. Her thoughts were keeping her awake.

"This place is so weird," she thought to herself, "Talking trash heaps, and tiny construction workers, and hairy giants? What's next?"

She lifted her aching tail and held it in her hand for a moment, looking at the bite marks left by Philo and Gunge.

"Ugh, and those nasty little rat things LIVE in that trash heap. No wonder it hurts so much. It's probably infected."

She got up from her makeshift bed and walked over to her suitcase lying on the rock table. She took out her first aid kit and began work bandaging her tail, sitting on the hard rocky floor.

"This is really going to take some getting used to. I need to try not to be surprised at everything I see. The Trash Heap said to expect the unexpected."

She got back up to put her first aid kit away when she noticed a picture frame sticking out from the various items she'd packed in her suitcase. She pulled it out and smiled at the photograph encased in it.

As she caressed the image of the two silly creatures in the photo, a strange feeling came over her. It was feeling she'd felt once before, when she first entered the Rock. The feeling that could only be satisfied with a song. She resisted it for a brief moment, but she quickly found that it was a futile effort.

_ (Goldie)_

_Day after day, I must face a world of strangers  
Where I don't belong, I'm not that strong.  
Its nice to know that there's someone I can turn to  
Who will always care. You're always there._

_When there's no getting' over that rainbow,  
When my smallest of dreams wont come true,  
I can take all the madness the world has to give,  
But I wont last a day without you._

She held the frame close to her for a moment. Then she looked up and found a shelf hanging on the far wall. She walked up to it and stood her picture frame up at the center. As she continued singing she pulled other objects from her suitcase to place on the shelf.

_So many times when the whole world seems to be  
Without a friendly face, a lonely place.  
It's nice to know that you'll be there if I need you,  
And you'll always smile. It's all worthwhile._

_When there's no getting' over that rainbow,  
When my smallest of dreams wont come true,  
I can take all the madness the world has to give,  
But I wont last a day without you._

_When there's no getting' over that rainbow,  
When my smallest of dreams wont come true,  
I can take all the madness the world has to give,  
But I wont last a day without you._

As she finished singing, she sat down on the rock table and looked up at the shelf. She waited to see if there was any more to the song left. There wasn't any, much to her relief. So she was able to take a moment to think of the family she left behind. She looked up and smiled.

"Grandma... Grandpa..." She said to the photograph on the shelf, "Don't you worry about me. I'll find a way to fit in here. I promise I won't let you down."

Her hand shifted on the rock and bumped into something. She looked back and noticed the paper bag sitting on the table beside her suitcase. She picked it up and sighed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gobo sat in his bed, which wasn't much more than a hole in the rock wall, strumming on his two-stringed guitar. Wembley's bed, the hole that was higher up and to the right of Gobo's, was empty. Wembley wasn't even in the room. Gobo wasn't worried, though. He just strummed away.

Goldie appeared in the doorway just in time to hear Gobo finish his jam session.

"Wow, that's really nice."

"Well, thank you. It's nothin' special, really. Just a few chords to pass the time before bed."

"Still, I still think it sounds really nice."

"Thanks."

He got up from his bed and put his guitar away.

"You don't have to wait for an invitation, eh."

"Huh?"

"Come on in. If you stay in the doorway, you'll likely get plowed over by Wembley if he gets back from wherever it was he went. We're all friends here, Goldie. If you wanna talk to us about something, just come on in and talk."

"Oh, okay."

She walked down the small stairway into the room. She looked around at the collage of postcards pinned to the cave wall. No doubt, she thought, all from his uncle, Traveling Matt.

"I heard about what happened in the Gorgs' Garden. How are you holding up?"

She blushed, rather embarrassed of what happened. She began to wonder if everyone in the Rock knew about it.

"Um, yeah, I'm... I'm fine now."

"That's good. Hey, don't worry about it. It happens to all of us when we first go out into the garden."

"How can you go out there with those hairy mountains ready to attack?"

"Easy. The Trash Heap's on the other side. And radishes. The gorgs are pretty easy to handle once you've been out there a few times. They may be big and scary, but they're not very fast. You can usually get away by just running."

"And if you can't?"

"They're not very smart, either. So if you get caught, you have to outsmart them. And usually, that'll be pretty easy."

"I see."

"I hope that makes it a lot easier for you."

"It does. Thanks."

"Hey, no problem, eh. Say, what's in the bag?"

Goldie looked at the paper bag in her hand.

"Oh, that. It belongs to that blue fraggle that ran away from me. I'm trying to find him so I can give it back to him."

"Oh, you mean Boober. He's barricaded himself in his cave. If you go around the corner out there and down the next tunnel, you should see it. It's the one with the door and window blocked off with blankets. You can't miss it. Good luck getting to him, though. He's a pretty stubborn fraggle."

"Thanks. I'll remember that."

She turned back around and started up the stairs again.

"And Goldie?"

"Yeah, Gobo?"

"If you see Wembley out there, let him know it's getting late."

She nodded and continued on her way out. After she left, Gobo climbed back into his bed, pulling the covers over himself as he made himself comfortable. He wondered if it was a good idea sending Goldie to Boober's room, especially given Boober's extreme fear of germs. And ontop of that, he wasn't sure whether or not Goldie knew about it. After a moment or two of thinking about it, he shok his head and brushed it off.

"Bah, nothing's gonna happen."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"BooberBooberBooberBoober! PLEEEEEASE let me in!"

Wembley bounced outside of Boober's room as he begged. Boober pulled a small section aside from the door and peeked out at the bouncing green fraggle.

"Well, you don't look infected."

"Uh, well, I don't feel infected."

Boober placed a hand on Wembley's nose. To his relief, his temperature was normal. He backed up and unpinned a section of the blanket big enough to walk through.

"Okay, come in. We'll both be safe."

"Great!"

Wembley stepped inside and walked past Boober as he pinned the section of blanket back up.

"I knew you, of all fraggles, would understand the dangers we're facing here, Wembley."

"Yeah, well."

"Who knows what hordes of horrible incurable diseases she could've carried in with her from Outer Space?"

"Well, yeah, Boober, but she seems like a really nice fraggle."

"Oh, I have nothing against her, personally. I just don't want to catch her germs."

"But... But what if she doesn't actually HAVE any?"

"Wembley, don't be ridiculous! Of course she does!"

"But Gobo's Uncle Matt's been out in Outer Space a long time, and he hasn't brought any germs back with him yet."

"Yes, but he's not here long enough for anyone to catch anything. I'm telling you, Wembley. My plan is foolproof. We stay here until she leaves Fraggle Rock. We'll be safe from all her horrible foreign germs."

Then there was a rustling noise coming from the window, followed by the thud of a heavy paper bag full of rocks hitting the floor. The two fraggles slowly approached the bag as loud footsteps could be heard outside, stomping away.

"Hey, there's a note on it," Wembley pointed out.

Boober picked up the bag and read the note that was attached.

"Here are your stupid slippery rocks," he read aloud, "You're welcome, you jerk. Signed, Goldie."

"Gosh..."

"P.S. To Wembley, Gobo said to tell you it's getting late."

Boober let out a loud sigh and used his free hand to scratch his head. He was at a loss. He didn't mean to hurt anyone. He realized right then that he had once again let his fear of germs get the better of him.

He opened the bag and took out one of the pieces of rock soap.

"Gee, Boober, I think you hurt her feelings."

"Yeah... I think so, too."

"So, uh... I guess I'll just go back to my place, then."

"Yeah..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goldie stomped along down the tunnel, grumbling almost incoherently as she went. Anyone passing by could hear the words "stupid" and "jerk" among her grumblings.

She stomped into her room and paced around for a few moments, still grumbling to herself.

"That stupid jerk! Ugh! It's making my fur friz just thinking about it! And why does my tail still hurt so much?!"

After a while of further grumbling, she started to feel dizzy. She walked over and practically dropped all her weight onto the bed. For some reason, it felt especially good to be lying down. She was again staring at the ceiling, and again she would be unable to sleep. But this time it would be for a different reason.

"Stupid jerk. I'll tell him off later. Oy, my head hurts."

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_**Song Credits:  
**- I Won't Last A Day Without You (cut version)—by The Carpenters_

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	5. Chapter 5

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**

Chapter 5

The following morning, Red got up from her hammock with new ideas in her head, and she was determined to see these ideas through. She was on a mission.

She trotted over to Goldie's room, and stepped through the doorway.

"Alright, Goldie. Yesterday just wasn't your day, but today's gonna be different."

She made her way over beside her bed.

"Just you wait, Goldie. I guarantee you're gonna do nothing but fun stuff today."

There wasn't much response from the mass beneath the blanket, except for a slight wheezing noise. Red put her hand up and shook her awake.

"Hey, Goldie. Wake up!"

"Ungh... What?"

"Are you feeling alright? You sound awful."

"I don't feel good."

Goldie let out a loud cough as she slowly rolled over and sat up on her bed, dropping the cover of her nice warm blanket onto her lap. Red noticed immediately a coat of bright red dots all over Goldie's face.

"Oh boy."

"'Oh boy', what?"

Red put her hand on Goldie's face. She was hot to the touch.

"Yup, no doubt about it."

"What? What is it?"

She gently pushed Goldie back down and pulled her blanket back over her.

"You just lay back down and stay right there. Go back to sleep if you want. I'll be right back."

And with that, she rushed out of the room, leaving Goldie dazed and confused, although the thought of going back to sleep sounded really good.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gobo and Wembley were still asleep when Red came busting into the room.

"Hey, Gobo! Wake up!"

Gobo sat up as Red hopped right up to his bed.

"Hey, Red. What's up?"

Wembley yawned as he turned around and peeked down from his bed.

"Yeah, what's up, Red?"

"Goldie's got the Pebble Pox."

"The Pebble Pox?" Gobo replied, "This time of year?"

"I know. It's weird, but there's no mistaking it. She's got the Pebble Pox, and she's got it bad. I need to go get some duganberries from the Cave of Shadows, and I need your maps to get there."

"Woah, hold up, Red. What's the hurry? Weren't you giving me a hard time about how I was when I got the Pebble Pox? What makes Goldie so different?"

"Gobo, I had a ton of fun stuff planned for Goldie to do today, but she can't do it if she's stuck in bed all day. So I have to get the duganberries so she can get better faster."

"Red, if she's sick today, wouldn't it be better to wait until tomorrow? With or without the duganberries?"

"No, because Mokey plans to take her to see the Storyteller tomorrow. And who knows what else is gonna be planned for the day after that and the day after that. I need this done today, or I might never get the chance to show her a good time."

"Alright, Red. Whatever you say. Hey, I'll go with you, eh. Two fraggles are better than one."

"Okay, whatever. Let's just go."

"Hold on a minute, Red," Wembley interrupted, "Doesn't Boober still have some duganberries leftover from the last Pebble Pox outbreak?"

"You've gotta be kidding me. Have you even SEEN the blockade Boober's put up in his room? There's no way I can get anything from him."

"Well, yeah, but I'm sure Boober wouldn't mind helping Goldie get better."

"Wembley's got a point, Red."

"Gobo, I remember you telling me you couldn't get Boober to even THINK about leaving his room. It's obvious he's scared of Goldie. Why do we need to bother trying again now?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt, would it?" Wembley asked.

"I don't see the harm in trying," Gobo agreed, "Wembley, how about you go talk to him while we get things ready here."

"Okay."

Wembley jumped down from his bed and ran out of the cave. Gobo got up from his own bed and went for his maps.

"I still think it's a waste of time," Red rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but Wembley's the only one who was actually able to get past Boober's barricade. If anyone has a chance of convincing him, it's Wembley."

"I don't know. Boober can be really stubborn when he wants to be. And Wembley doesn't have a stubborn bone in his body."

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"BooberBooberBooberBooberBooberBoober!"

Wembley called as he ran all the way to the doorway of Boober's cave, which was still blocked off by blankets.

"BOOBERRRRR!!!!"

Boober poked his head out through the side of the blanket.

"What is it, Wembley?!"

"Pebble Pox!"

"That's ridiculous, Wembley. The Pebble Pox isn't expected to break out again for a long long time."

"Well, then you should probably tell that to Goldie because she's caught it."

"Say what?"

"You heard me. Goldie has the Pebble Pox. Red wants her to get better today, so she and Gobo are gonna go to the Cave of Shadows to get some duganberries for her."

"But that could take all day. They'll never be able to get it in time that way."

"I know. That's why I came here. To see if you still had any from when we all had it last time."

"Um... Let me check."

"Okay."

"Don't go away."

"Sure."

Boober went back inside and paced around the room for a moment, though it wasn't to do a search. He knew very well that he had plenty of leftover duganberries, but he also knew that it would mean leaving the safety of his cave. He mumbled to himself as he paced around, occasionally yanking at his hair and scratching his head.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"There you are, Goldie. This'll help with your headache."

Not long after Red had left Goldie alone, Mokey walked in with a mosspack in hand. At first glance, Goldie thought it looked like a pile of spinach-colored moss in an ice cream cone. Imagine her confusion when Mokey plopped this strange mossy stuff onto her head, cone and all. Surprisingly enough, Goldie found that it actually was helping with the headache, so she didn't complain.

"Mokey, what is this?"

"Oh, it's just the Pebble Pox. We all get it at some point in our lives. It's funny how you managed to catch it on just your second day in Fraggle Rock. Especially since it's not even the right time of year for Pebble Pox."

Goldie was about to say something, but instead let out a long fit of coughing.

"Oh, but don't you worry, Goldie. Any minute now, Red'll be back with your medicine. You'll see."

"Aren't you afraid of catching it?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me. I've already had it. Now, is there anything else you need?"

"For this to go away?"

"Well, we're working on that. Anything else?"

"Not really. I think I'm alright for now."

"Good. You just sit back and relax, and we'll take care of everything. Your fever's still up pretty high, but I'll be right here with you if you need anything."

"Thanks, Mokey."

"You are very welcome."

Goldie went back to staring at the ceiling, although it was a little difficult keeping focus on any particular thing. She had to shut her eyes because the blurring image of the ceiling above her made her dizzy. After a while, she somehow managed to drift to sleep.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wembley's sure taking a long time getting back."

Red was impatiently waiting while Gobo triple-checked his equipment to make sure he had everything.

"He's probably just making really sure whether or not Boober has the duganberries."

"And since this is Wembley we're talking about, it could take forever before he's really sure about it. Why can't we just go?"

"Red, if we go and Wembley's actually able to get Boober to help, it'll be a wasted trip."

"Yeah, well..."

She was about to say something else when a fuzzy green blur hopped past the cave window and into the doorway.

"GoboGoboGoboGoboGobo!!! Boober said he'll help! He has the duganberries, and he's making the tea right now! You don't have to go to the Cave of Shadows."

"That's great, Wembley!"

"Yeah, but he also said that even after drinking the tea, she should stay in bed the rest of the day to fully recover."

"What?!"

Red's tail flared up with rage. She started to run towards the doorway when Mokey stepped into it beside Wembley and stopped her.

"And WHERE are you going?"

"To go beat Boober senseless. Where is he?"

"He's with Goldie right now. He told me he wanted to take care of it himself and to make sure nobody disturbed her while she rested."

Gobo put his maps away and then walked up beside Red.

"Red, I know you had a fun day planned for Goldie today, but the fact is she needs to rest."

"Yeah, I know," she whined. "But I wanted to give her a great experience before she goes off to be bored to death by the Storyteller."

"Well, that's nice and all, Red, but unfortunately, it just can't happen today."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"There'll be other days, Red," Mokey said.

"Yeah, but after the day she had yesterday, it just figures she'd catch the Pebble Pox today."

"Although, if you think about it, it's actually kinda funny," Wembley added.

The other three fraggles turned to Wembley, baffled by what he just said. He looked at the three of them and shrugged.

"What?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goldie woke up to the sound of liquid pouring into a cup. She looked over to find Boober turning to her with a cup of freshly brewed duganberry tea in his hand.

"What are YOU doing here?"

"Helping you get better," he answered as he held the cup out for her. "Drink this."

"What is it?"

"Duganberry tea. Duganberries are the only known cure for the Pebble Pox, and making it into a tea is the best way I know to take it."

She sat up and slowly took the cup from him, keeping her gaze fixated on him. She didn't take her eyes off him, even as she brought the cup to her mouth and started drinking the hot tea. He noticed her glare and let out a sigh.

"You have every right to be angry with me."

"You're darn right I do."

She finished her tea and handed the cup back to Boober. She rolled over on her bed so her back was to him.

"I'm afraid of a lot of things," he started nervously, "Obviously, one of them is my fear of germs. Sometimes... I let my fears get the better of me, and it can sometimes cloud my better judgment. I was so afraid that you would bring germs from Outer Space I just panicked. It never once occurred to me that you would catch anything from us. It seems so obvious now because you've never BEEN with other fraggles before. I feel really foolish now that I think about it."

She didn't respond or even move, but she didn't stop listening. He walked up closer to her bed so he was sure she'd hear him.

"I know it wasn't right for me to have said the things I said about you. Especially after the way you helped me when we first met. I won't blame you if you don't want to forgive me right now, but for what it's worth... I'm sorry."

Again, no response. He sighed again and backed away, slowly stepping over to the door.

"I don't want you to think I'm not grateful for your help. I'll leave the tea and the cup where you can reach it. Just stay in bed and rest until tomorrow. I'll make sure nobody disturbs you until then. If the tea gets cold, just let me know."

Goldie waited a moment, deciding whether or not to speak with him. Boober was almost at the door when she finally decided to turn back to him and say something.

"Boober?"

He stopped and turned his gaze to her.

"Yes?"

She hesitated, unsure of what she was gonna say, but now that she had his attention, she had to say something.

"...Thanks."

He shook his head.

"No... Don't thank me. It's the least I can do for the way I treated you before."

"All the same... Thank you."


	6. Chapter 6

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**

Chapter 6

It was a new day. Wembley and Boober were on their way to Goldie's cave to make sure she'd fully recovered.

"Hey, Boober. There's something I don't get."

"What's that, Wembley?"

"You were the first fraggle Goldie met when she got to Fraggle Rock, right?"

"Right."

"So if she'd actually had all those horrible germs like you said, wouldn't you've been the first to catch them all?"

Boober stopped for a moment and slowly turned to Wembley.

"That's a very frightening thought."

"Yeah, I thought so, too."

"That would mean my quarantine would've been pointless."

"Well... Yeah, I guess it would."

Boober paused for a moment, blinking his eyes repeatedly as these new discomforting thoughts entered his head. Wembley watched his frozen friend intently until he finally shook his head and spoke.

"Let's not speak of this again, Wembley."

"Okay."

They then decided it was best to continue walking. Boober was still trying to shake off that last conversation when they bumped into Red and Mokey exiting their room.

"Oh! Hi, Boober," Mokey greeted, "Hi, Wembley. Going to check on Goldie?"

"Yup!" Wembley answered.

"So where'd Gobo run off to?" Red asked.

"He's back home looking through all his maps. He said something about planning an exploration tour for Goldie."

Red rolled her eyes.

"Of course he did. After all MY fun plans fail, he goes and starts making plans of his own. I see how it is."

"Well, today she's going to see the Storyteller," Mokey added, "That is if she's well enough to get out of bed, anyway."

Boober continued walking past the others.

"That's why I'm here."

The other three fraggles followed close behind him. They all walked in to find Goldie sitting up on her bed, stretching from having just awakened. The red spots were all gone from her face and she seemed just as lively as the day she arrived.

"Hey, good morning, everyone."

Boober walked right up to her and placed his hand on her nose.

"Your fever's gone, and your voice is back to normal."

"I feel fine."

"I'll be the judge of that. Now open your mouth and say 'Ah'."

"Aaaaaaaaahhh..."

"Yup, everything seems to be in order here. No more Pebble Pox."

"So... Does this mean you're over that whole 'germs from Outer Space' thing?"

"I'd rather not talk about that, if it's alright with you. I think it'll be best if we just pretend that whole thing never happened."

"That's fine by me."

"Alright then."

Boober backed up and turned to leave.

"She's got a clean bill of health," he said to the others as he walked past them and out of the room, "She's all yours, Mokey."

"Thank you, Boober."

"Hey, Boober! Wait for me!" Wembley called as he followed Boober out.

Goldie jumped up out of bed and over to her suitcase.

"So..." she started as she took out a hair brush and started brushing, "What surprises am I in for today?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gobo was hard at work, planning and plotting the course he was to take. He had all his maps laid out on the floor and his uncle's field guide open in his hands.

"Now, let's see. I could show her Blossom Boulder. Hmm. Firefly Cavern's pretty nice this time of year. The Whistling Tunnel's pretty good, too. Oh! And the Cave of the Rumblebugs. I'm sure she'll like that. And then at the end, we can just mess around in the Messin' Around Cave. Heheh."

He took note of all the places he suggested to himself, plotting his course of action.

"This is gonna be some tour. I'm really gonna have to prepare for this one. Of course, I can't do all of them in one day. Hmm..."

"Hiya, Gobo!"

"Oh, hi, Wembley."

Gobo waited as Wembley and Boober both walked past the window, through the doorway, and down the steps into the room, stopping just at the edge of Gobo's giant mess of maps. Boober looked around at them and then pointed to them.

"Gobo, what's all this?"

"I'm trying to think of places to take Goldie to on the tour I'm gonna give her."

"Why do you have a map of the Terrible Tunnel out?"

"What? How'd that get there?"

Gobo picked that map up and rolled it up. He then proceeded to pick up maps of other horrible places to put them away, too. The last thing he wanted was to put Goldie through more danger than she already had. Wembley went down and helped.

"Boy, it's a good thing Boober pointed that out, Gobo. Cuz if you'd accidently picked any of those maps for your tour, who knows what could happened?"

"You could end up trapped in a poison cackler's nest," Boober suggested.

"Or tangled on some clinging creepers," Wembley added.

"Or falling down Echo Hole!"

"Or lost in the Caves of Boredom!"

"Okay, Okay! I get it!" Gobo retorted before they listed any more horrible fates. "I know what I'm doing. I'm not gonna put her in any danger."

"And what if danger comes after you instead?"

"Yeah, Gobo. What if the danger goes to you?"

"Then we'll just have to handle it. Don't worry. Everything'll be fine. You can even come along if it'll make you feel better."

Wembley bounce up and down with excitement.

"Sure! I'll go with you, Gobo! It'll be fun!"

Boober, however, wasn't so enthusiastic.

"I'm going to have to pass. There's laundry that needs done, and it's not going to wash itself."

"Alright, suit yerself."

Gobo picked up the rest of his maps and started towards the doorway.

"Where're you going, Gobo?" Wembley asked.

"To test my route. Gotta make sure I got everything right."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The three arrived at the Storyteller's house. Mokey rang the doorbell.

"I hope she tells something short," Red said.

Mokey stepped back from the door and looked over to Red.

"But, Red. Short stories aren't as much fun. They're so... short."

The door opened, and an old lady fraggle of yellowy-beige fur and light pink hair stepped out from behind it. She wore a magenta sweater over a light blue shirt, a long dangly necklace, and a pair of thick, round, magenta eyeglasses.

As soon as she saw Goldie, her eyes went wide and she let out a gasp.

"Aw! I don't believe it!"

"Don't believe what, Madame Storyteller?" Mokey asked.

"She looks just like... No, it couldn't be. That's simply impossible."

"Who?" Goldie asked. "Who do I look like?"

"It's not important. You're here for a story, is that right? Well, I'm going to tell you one."

"But now I'm curious. Who do you think I look like?"

The Storyteller stepped up to her and grasped her face with both hands. Turning it so she could see it more closely.

"You have her eyes," she said, "And his nose. And both his and her hair color... at the same time, no less. Simply amazing."

Goldie grabbed the Storyteller's wrists and pulled her hands off her face.

"Okay, lady, now you're creeping me out. Who is it you think I look like?"

"Two fraggles I knew... long ago."

"What happened to them?"

"Oh, I know you didn't come here to hear THAT story. There are plenty better ones I could tell. Like The Tale of the Famous Fedora Fraggle. Or the Ring of the Radish, if you wish? Or how about I recount to you one of the brilliant stories of the brave, strong, and dashing Matt Fraggle?"

"I'd like to hear what happened to those two fraggles you say I look like, if you don't mind."

"Well, I do mind! Pick something else!"

"Oh please, Madame Storyteller," Mokey insisted, "I want to hear this story, too. Please?"

"Yeah, me too," nodded Red.

The Storyteller hung her head and sighed as she resigned to their request.

"Alright. If that's the one you want to hear."

She cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses as she began to tell her story.

_ (Storyteller Fraggle)  
Young fraggles, come and listen well this story that I tell,  
About a great disaster and the horror that befell,  
These two unfort'nate fraggles, their struggle and their strain,  
About the journey that they made through unexplored terrain.  
About the caves to which they went and never came again.  
About the caves to which they went and never came again._

_Some years ago, before your time. Imagine if you dare.  
The two young fraggles went to find a cave for them to share.  
They tried so many places. It was driving them insane.  
For every place they tried were such that they could not retain.  
And we all thought that they would never find a home again.  
We all had thought that they would never find a home again._

_And then one day they finally had found a brand new cave.  
Both beautiful and roomy. It was everything they craved.  
It was a little drafty, though, but they did not complain.  
The cave was still quite cozy, but alas, it was their bane.  
Cuz little did they know that they would not come back again.  
Oh, little did they know that they would not come back again._

_Some time had passed in their new home, and they were feeling good.  
But something on that fateful day just wasn't as it should.  
This windy little cave picked up the fury it restrained.  
The wind kept picking up until the two were blown uh, away'n.  
The cave had sucked them up, and they were never seen again.  
The cave had sucked them up, and they were never seen again._

_Before we knew what happened, all the Rock was in a craze.  
The two unfort'nate fraggles had been missing now for days.  
We searched around both high and low, but it was all in vain.  
Because something had happened that no one could preordain.  
The two young fraggles disappeared and never came again.  
The two young fraggles disappeared and never came again._

The three of them stared as the Storyteller finished her story.

"Where do you think they went to?" asked Mokey.

"No one knows. It was rumored that the cave was actually a horrible monster that devoured them whole. Others say that they had found a portal and were sucked into another world. All I know is no one ever went near those caves again after that. And since then, its location has been forgotten."

Goldie thought for a moment, and then decided to ask:

"Do you they might've ended up in Outer Space?"

"Hmm... I suppose it might be possible... But not likely. I was always a believer of the monster theory."

"And what were their names?"

"Their names were... their names... Huh, funny. I can't remember."

Red Rolled her eyes.

"Some help YOU are."

"Well, that was a wonderful story, Madame Storyteller," Mokey said. "Thank you so much for telling it to us. I think we'll be on our way now."

"Yup. Games to play, songs to sing," Red added, "You know how it is."

"Yes, yes. You young fraggles always have so much to do. Alright, then. If you ever need another story, you know where to find me."

And with that, the three left the Storyteller's home. She watched the three young fraggles as they disappeared down the tunnel and around the corner.

"It just isn't possible," she mumbled to herself, "It couldn't be... could it?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wow, that story was amazing, wasn't it?" Mokey asked as they walked.

"Well, if you ask me," Red replied, "It sounds a lot like the story of the Terrible Tunnel. It was even the exact same melody."

"But, Red, in the story of the Terrible Tunnel, the hero, Sir Blunderbrain, saved everyone, remember? There wasn't a hero in this story. They were just sucked up and never seen again."

"Mokey, how many caves do YOU know that suck fraggles up and make them disappear? These two fraggles probably made the mistake of getting settled in the Terrible Tunnel."

"I suppose that could be it."

"I don't know, you guys," Goldie said, "The way the Storyteller looked at me, I think it might've been something else."

"You think so?" Mokey asked.

"Say, Goldie. How'd you wind up in Outer Space anyway?"

"I don't really know. As far as I can remember, I've always been out there. I never knew my birth parents, or if I even HAD any. I didn't even think there were any others of my kind until Traveling Matt found me."

"Then who's this family you mentioned before in the garden?"

"My grandma and grandpa. They took me in when I was just a baby."

"You were raised by silly creatures?" Mokey asked.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Hey," Red said, "Do you think the two fraggles in the story might've been your parents? That would explain the Storyteller's reaction to you."

"And maybe the place they disappeared to was somewhere in Outer Space, someplace far and frightening," added Mokey, clasping her hands together as she laid the drama before them. "And after being trapped for ages in this unknown world, without any hope of ever returning to Fraggle Rock, they settled down and parented a child, only to befall further tragedy, leaving the child alone and helpless, when two kind and caring silly creatures scoop up the child and raise her as their own! Oh, you poor thing!"

Red and Goldie stared at the overexcited lavender fraggle as she finished her rambling, and then they looked at each other.

"Is she alright?"

"Don't worry. Sometimes Mokey gets carried away with things like this."

"It would be scary if it was all true."

The three fell into an awkward silence for a moment. None of them had anything to say after that. Goldie was inwardly excited to think that she may have learned a little bit about herself from all this, but was she also saddened to think what dangers her parents may have faced in Outer Space... That is, if they were indeed the two fraggles the Storyteller spoke of.

Another moment later, Red perked up and looked over to Goldie and Mokey.

"Hey! I've got a great idea. Come with me."

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_**Song Credits:**_

_- The Tale of Two Unfortunate Fraggles—mildly rewritten from "The Ballad of Sir Blunderbrain" from the episode "The Terrible Tunnel"_

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	7. Chapter 7

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**  
Chapter 7

"Red, are you sure this is safe?"

Goldie was shaking in fear as she sat on a very large greaseberry leaf at the top of a steep sloping tunnel that twisted and turned all the way down. Red sat behind her on the same leaf.

"Goldie, I promise you this'll be fun."

"Don't you even have helmets for this thing?"

"Oh, you big baby," Red replied and handed her a Rock Hockey helmet. "Here. Now get ready! Hold on to the front of the leaf."

Goldie slipped the helmet over her head and braced herself on the very greasy leaf sled.

"Alright."

"Ready? Go!"

Red shoved off, and they were on their way. The going was slow. They made a couple turns, a drop here and there. Goldie was enjoying herself. She even started to feel silly to have asked for a helmet.

"You're right, this is fun."

"Oh, it hasn't started yet. If you think this is fun, wait till we get to the big drop."

"Say what?!"

"Hang on! Here it comes!"

Goldie was going to say something else when the tunnel suddenly took a steep turn downward and the leaf suddenly began to plummet into it. The both of them let out shrill screams as they fell: Red enjoying the adrenaline rush, and Goldie frightened out of her mind.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

They rode down the slope, around the bend, looped the loop, down another bend, up a small hill, down again, turn again, drop again, another loop, and then suddenly Goldie found herself flying through the air with the large leaf still in her hands.

"Goldie, let go!" she yelled as she gracefully transitioned into one of her famous diving forms.

Goldie, confused that Red wasn't nearly as scared as she was, let the leaf go as they both fell with a big splash right into the fraggle pond.

Other fraggles gathered around and watched as the two of them emerged from the water. Red held her arms up in excitement.

"Woohoohoohoo! That was fantastic! Let's do it again!"

"Ugh..." Goldie groaned as she grabbed on to the rock at the edge of the pond, "No thanks. Once is enough for me."

Red swam up and grabbed the edge beside her. She grimaced upon seeing Goldie's face. Her eyes were swirling in every direction, and her face had turned a lovely shade of green.

"Woah, Goldie, are you alright?"

"I don't feel good."

"Well, maybe that was too much for you to start with. But that's okay. I've got another idea. This one's even better than the first one, and it won't make you queasy."

"Ugh... Alright. Just no more greasy leaves."

"Okay, Goldie," Red chuckled, "No more greaseberry leaves."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Later)

"Hiiiiideyyyy!" Goldie called from where she stood blindfolded.

"Hoooh!" The other fraggles in the Great Hall answered.

Red had figured that a slower-paced game would be better for Goldie, and suggested a game of "Hidey-Ho" in the Great Hall, which Goldie found to be exactly the same as the human game "Marco Polo". It was an open game where any fraggle could join in at any time, and just about every fraggle did. Goldie was It, and she found that the game was much more interesting with so many more players to try to catch.

"Hiiiideyyyy!"

"Hooooh!"

Red silently congratulated herself as she waited for Goldie to call "Hidey" again. She could see that Goldie was actually enjoying herself this time.

"Hiiiideyyyy!"

"Hooooh!"

"Gotcha!"

Everyone looked and found that she had indeed caught someone, and he was none too happy to have been caught.

"Alright, you're it," Goldie said to him as she handed the blindfold to him, "What was your name again?"

"Uh, my name's Feeny."

"If you don't wanna be it, Feeny, I can go again."

"No, that's okay, Goldie. You got me fair and square. I'll be it."

"Okay."

Goldie helped Feeny put the blindfold on.

"You know, Goldie, you're a real nice fraggle."

"Why, thank you, Feeny."

"Can we be friends?"

Goldie giggled at the simple little fraggle as she finished tying the blindfold.

"Of course we can."

"Really? Ya mean it? Wow, that's great! I get to be friends with the fraggle from Outer Space!"

"Alright, Feeny. Count to ten."

"Oh, okay. Uh, one! Two..."

Goldie ran to hide as Feeny continued counting. She found herself in the same hiding place as Red.

"You know, Goldie," Red whispered with a nudge, "Feeny wasn't actually playing when you caught him."

"He wasn't? Whoops."

"And I think now would be a good time to tell you he can only count to four."

"Are you serious?"

"Seventeen!" Feeny called "Uh, Eleventy-four! ...Doozer! Uh... Radish!"

"This could take a while."

"Yeah..."

Goldie sat down for a moment, knowing that Feeny would probably never get to ten at the rate he was going. She looked on to the tunnel in front of her, wondering where it went. After a moment of staring, Goldie began to hear a faint sound coming from that direction. Curious, she got up and walked into the tunnel, following this sound she thought she heard.

Red, who was still watching Feeny, didn't notice Goldie as she disappeared into the tunnel.

"This is gonna take forever," she groaned and looked down to where Goldie was, "What say we go play something else, eh Goldie?"

It was then she noticed that Goldie was missing.

"Goldie? Hey! Where'd you go?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The further Goldie walked through the tunnel, the more clearly she could hear the sound she was following. It grew louder and clearer until finally she recognized the strumming of a guitar and the voice singing with it.

"That's Gobo," she thought as she walked further up the tunnel and in fact found Gobo walking along in the tunnels, strumming and singing as he went.

"La la-la la, la la la la, la la," he sang as he strummed, "La la-la la, la la la la."

Goldie followed him, watching and listening as he sang his song.

_(Gobo)  
Headed down the road I'm going round and round.  
Walking through the light and through the free and easy land.  
All I want to know is how the world goes round.  
All I want to be is a traveling, be a wandering man._

_(Gobo & A Fraggle-Sized Cave Creature)  
Well you go one way.  
See it's some kind of fun way.  
Start exploring the two way.  
Wow, it's just like a thruway.  
When you get to the three way.  
Can't be sure it's a free way.  
Got to find me the true way.  
That's the only way home._

_(Gobo)  
La la-la la, la la la la, la la.  
La la-la la, la la la la._

"Oh, Hiya, Goldie," he greeted when he noticed her following behind him, not stopping on his guitar.

He stopped walking so Goldie could walk up to him.

"Hey, Gobo..." she greeted back as the cave creature went away just as quickly as it came. "Say, is that normal?"

"What?"

She pointed at the creature walking away.

"Strange creatures coming out of nowhere to sing with you?"

"Oh, that? Yeah, that happens all the time. They come, they sing with us, they leave."

"And you're sure it's safe?"

"Oh, sure it is. The dangerous creatures never sing."

"Oh... So where are you going?"

"Right now, nowhere."

Goldie was confused by that answer for a moment. Gobo continued strumming his guitar while she thought. Then she laughed when she realized it was because they were both standing still and not going anywhere.

"No, I meant where WERE you going?"

"Oh, well. I was just checking out the tunnels in these maps. See, I'm planning to take you on an exploration tour of Fraggle Rock, and I wanna make sure I don't take you anywhere too dangerous."

"That sounds like fun."

"It is fun. There's nothing better than exploring a new place, and with me as your guide, you know you won't get lost, and you'll have nothing to worry about."

"I can't wait."

"Good to hear it."

The two of them started walking further down the tunnel. Gobo was still strumming the same tune he'd been playing.

"So, did Red tire you out with all the games she had planned for you?"

"Oh, no. I just heard your guitar all the way from the Great Hall and followed it here."

"Really? How come?"

"Well, because I like how it sounds when you play it."

"Aw, shucks. That's nice of you to say."

"No, I'm serious. I've never heard of anyone who could play a guitar with only two strings on it."

"Heh, well you work with what you got, I guess."

"I guess so."

"Say, how was your visit with the Storyteller?"

"It was interesting. She told us a story about two fraggles and a cave that sucked them up."

"Sounds like the story of the Terrible Tunnel."

"That's what Red said, but Mokey said that the Terrible Tunnel story had a hero that saved everybody, and these two fraggles just disappeared and never came back."

"Well, that is a little different. But what makes you think this story didn't also take place in the Terrible Tunnel?"

"Cuz the Storyteller said I looked just like these two fraggles. We think that maybe these two fraggles that disappeared might've been my parents, and that when they disappeared, they ended up in Outer Space. And from what I hear, the Terrible Tunnel's something that keeps fraggles trapped inside."

"That's true. It does. Hmm... That is interesting. Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we add to the tour a search for this place where these fraggles disappeared?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Sure, if it means finding out more about what happened to those two fraggles. Who knows? Maybe this cave they disappeared in really does go to Outer Space, and maybe they actually are your parents."

"That would be fantastic."

"Then it's settled. We're making it part of the tour. The search for the mysterious cave of disappearing fraggles."

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_**Song Credits:**  
- Only Way Home (One Way, Thru Way, Free Way)—From the episode "Sir Hubris and the Gorgs"_

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	8. Chapter 8

**The Fraggle From Outer Space  
**Chapter 8

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! This is gonna be so much fun, huh Gobo?"

Wembley couldn'twait to getthetour under way. Gobo was hard at work making sure he had everything they would need.

"I sure hope so. At the very least, Goldie sounded pretty excited about it."

"Hey, do you think we'll really find that cave that Goldie's parents disappeared in?"

"I really don't know. I suppose it's possible."

"I wouldn't pin my hopes on it," Boober interjected as he walked into the room carrying a brown paper bag in his hands.

"Hiya, Boober," Wembley greeted, "Didja change your mind about coming with us?"

"No, I'm still not going, especially after overhearing your plans. You're not really going to try and look for this place, are you, Gobo?"

"Sure we are, Boober. I mean if we do find it, it'll really be a major discovery."

"But how do you expect to ever find it if you don't even have any clues as to where it could be?"

"Well, we'll just go where we haven't been before and start lookin' there."

"Then you can definitely count me out. I have no intention of throwing myself into dangerously unknown territory to look for an equally dangerous cave that makes fraggles disappear."

"Your loss, eh."

"Say, Boober," Wembley said, looking at the object in Boober's hands, "Isn't that the bag Goldie gave you with the rock soap in it?"

"Uhhhhhm... Tsk... yes. Yes, it is. Except that I've emptied it of rock soap and instead filled it with all sorts of medicinal herbs. They should prove very useful for your journey in case anything happens. Here."

Boober then shoved the bag into Wembley's hands and started to walk away.

"Uh, well, wouldn't it be better if you gave this to Goldie instead, since this is her bag and all?"

"You were closer. You can give it to her if you want."

"Yeah, but Boober..."

"Good luck with the tour."

"Boober, wait!"

Wembley ran after Boober as he disappeared out of the room and around the bend. Gobo watched them leave and then tilted his head.

"Huh. Well, that was odd."

He shrugged his shoulders and finished packing his essentials. He slung his pack on his back and adjusted the straps as needed.

"Well. No time to worry about it right now. I've got a tour to start on."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Boober, wait!"

Boober finally stopped walking after having walked halfway down the tunnel. He turned around just as Wembley finished catching up to him.

"What is it, Wembley?"

"Boober, are you feeling alright?"

"Of course I am. I've never been better."

"Then why are you acting all wonky?"

"Wembley, don't be ridiculous. I am not acting wonky. I'm exactly the same as I always was."

"Oh yeah? Then how come you gave me your herbs, huh? I don't know how they work, and neither does Gobo. You know that. They won't be useful to us if we don't have someone with us who knows how to use them."

"Agh! Fine then."

Boober then snatched the bag back from Wembley.

"I'll just take them back."

He turned back around and continued walking away.

"Boober!"

"Wembley!" Gobo called, stopping Wembley before he could go anywhere. "Just let 'im go."

Wembley watched Boober walk away before turning to Gobo.

"What do you think is wrong with him, Gobo?"

"I don't know. It's like he was gonna come with us and then changed his mind."

"Yeah, you're right. That must be it, because he's the only one that knows about herbs and stuff, and he wanted us to have them."

"Hmm..."

"What are we gonna do, Gobo?"

"Well, the sooner we get this tour started, the more we'll get to show Goldie today. So, I think we should just get on our way."

"But what about Boober?"

"If something is wrong with him, he'll tell us when he's good and ready. I think it'll be best if we just leave him alone for now."

"Okay."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boober stopped just short of his doorway and blinked for a moment.

"I can't believe I actually considered going with them. What was I thinking? I must be out of my mind."

He stepped inside and dropped his bag of herbs on the table. He walked over to his large wooden washtub and looked down at the unfinished pile of laundry.

"I've got too much to do anyway. I don't have time to be going out on dangerous journeys."

He picked up one of the shirts on his pile of laundry that needed washed. He laid it on his scrub board and started scrubbing. It only took a few moments for him to stop and look back at the paper back he left on the table.

"Hmph," He sneered as he shook his head and went back to what he was doing. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Later...)

In a tunnel near the Cave of the Rumblebugs, the doozers were hard at work building their latest set of constructions. The bulldoozer in charge had his head held high as he looked over his building crew. There was never anything that could make a doozer happier than a good long day of building.

At the end of such a day, the doozers' only interruption was the sound of the bulldoozer's whistle.

"Quitting time! Build Team, dismissed!"

The crew made their final touches to the towers and began to make their way home. The bulldoozer watched and made sure everyone was safely off the towers and on their way. He was about to drive off behind them when a young doozer appeared in front of him.

"Hey, Flange! Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Certainly, Wrench. What're you doing all the way out here, anyway? You should be back home in the Doozer Dome."

"I was, but I can't find Cotterpin anywhere. She was gonna show me her plans for the new bridge she wants us to build. She was really excited about it, too. I was wondering if you've seen her?"

"Nope. I'm sorry, Wrench. I haven't seen my daughter at all today. But when I do, I'll be sure to let her know you're looking for her."

"That'd be great. Thanks, Flange."

"No problem. Now, let's get on home."

"Okay."

"And don't you worry about Cotterpin. She's probably just off looking for a good spot to build her bridge. You know how passionate she can be about this sort of thing."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

As the doozers disappeared into their own series of tunnels, a group of five fraggles appeared from the cave nearby.

"Wow! Those rumblebugs were really something!" Goldie commented. "The way they all hummed together was just awesome!"

"Yeah, they were really humming their hearts out today," Gobo said.

"It's a shame that Boober didn't want to come with us," Mokey said.

"Yeah, he's missing out on all the fun," Wembley added.

"Knowing Boober, that's probably why he avoided all this," Red replied.

"I feel kinda bad for him," said Goldie, "Staying at home with his laundry all day while the rest of us are out having a good time."

"That's just something he does," Gobo replied, "He'll be fine. Don't worry too much about it, eh."

"Are you sure?"

Red moved over to Goldie and placed an arm on her shoulder.

"Listen, Goldie. Boober's undoubtedly the most boring fraggle in the Rock. He'd much rather be doing his laundry than doing anything fun."

"Alright. If you say so."

"So what's next, Gobo?" Wembley asked.

"Well, we've been to Blossom Boulder, Firefly Cavern, and the Whistling Tunnel. And we just left the Cave of the Rumblebugs. I suppose the next thing to do is to try and find that cave from the story."

"Alright! Finally!" Red replied.

"Where do you propose we start looking?" asked Goldie.

"Well, if we go this way long enough, there'll be a tunnel that goes around into some place that isn't marked on any of my Uncle Matt's maps. I say we start there."

"Sounds good to me."

"Yeah, me too," Wembley agreed. "Oh, boy! I can't wait!"

The fraggles continued walking and made their way to the tunnel. Not long after they were gone, a sneaky figure peeked its head around the corner from the Cave of the Rumblebugs. It watched as they disappeared into the tunnel ahead and then quickly followed behind, careful not to let them know they were being followed. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Later...)

"These caves sure are glittery," Goldie pointed out as they all walked.

They were headed down an uncharted tunnel lined with a strange type of rock that shimmered and glistened with the light.

"They sure are," Gobo agreed.

"Hey, Gobo," Goldie continued, "Didn't you say your uncle Matt mapped all of Fraggle Rock?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then why isn't this on any map? And why doesn't have the location of this cave the Storyteller told us about?"

"It's simple," Red jumped in before Gobo could say anything, "He only THINKS he's mapped everything when really he hasn't mapped much of anything at all."

"He's mapped plenty!" Gobo protested, "He mapped every other place we've been to today. He probably just missed this place."

"Gee, some explorer HE is."

"Hey, you guys?" Wembley said, "Does anyone besides me get the feeling we're being followed?"

"Followed?" Gobo replied, "By whom?"

"I don't know. I've been looking behind us, and so far I haven't seen anybody, but I still can't help feeling like we're being followed... And watched."

"That is odd."

"Oh, you're probably just being paranoid," Red replied, "I think you've been hanging around Boober too long."

"Yeah, maybe you're right."

"Hey! Check this out!"

Goldie ran ahead to a clearing in the tunnel that opened up to a large cavern.

"Wooow!" Mokey exclaimed as they caught up with Goldie in the cavern, "Isn't this amazing?"

"I know, right?" Golde replied. "It's so beautiful."

"No kidding," said Wembley.

They'd arrived at a strange and beautiful cavern filled with lights of many colors. Every stalagmite and stalactite had a different color to it, and the colors were all constantly changing.

"It's like a rainbow in here," Red pointed out.

"Oh yes, a rainbow," Mokey agreed. "A living rainbow."

"No kidding," said Wembley.

"This place..." Goldie said as she walked to the far end of the cavern, "It feels like I've been here before."

Wembley came up behind her.

"No kidding?"

"I know what you mean," Gobo agreed, "It's really cozy here, you know?"

"No kidding." 

"Shhh, listen!" Mokey interrupted.

No one spoke for several moments while they all tried to hear what Mokey was hearing. She listened intently to the faint but melodious sound.

"I don't hear anything, Mokey," Red said.

"Don't you hear the music?"

Mokey walked across the room towards the sound she was hearing. The others just shrugged and followed behind her. She stopped in front of a group of boulders that seemed to have been laid in a row. On the wall behind these boulders were several large thick vines twisting upwards from the cave floor.

"Hey, those vines are alive!" Gobo pointed out.

The other fraggles quickly noticed that two of the vines weren't on the wall with the others, but instead were busy beating on the rocks in front of them. Each rock they hit made a different sound and lit up in a different color, and seemed to be a pattern to how they were hitting them.

"It sounds like music," Wembley pointed out.

"Vines making music with rocks?" Goldie asked.

"Stranger things have happened," Gobo answered.

"I think it's beautiful," Mokey added.

"Hey look!" Red pointed, "The other vines are moving, too!"

They watched as the rest of the vines wiggled away from the rock wall and began, one by one, to set themselves each on its own rock. The light dimmed on all these rocks as a huge dark shadow rose up from behind them.

It looked like a very large plant with an enormous flower bud at the end of its thick, thorny, leafy stem. The petals opened into four sections, revealing a very toothy mouth inside.

"Uuuuuurrrrhh..." it moaned. "What is this? Who is in my cavern?"


	9. Chapter 9

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**  
Chapter 9

The five fraggles stared in shock at the giant plant as it opened its mouth and spoke.

"Who is in my cavern?" it repeated.

"U-u-uh, w-we're very sorry if we disturbed you," Gobo stuttered, "We're j-j-just a bunch of f-f-fraggles on a quest."

"_Que dices?_ Fraggles?" it replied, "Did you say you are fraggles?"

"Uh... yes?"

"Well, then, in that case..."

The fraggles started to slowly back away as the rocks lit back up to reveal a large pink flower, the petals of which made up its mouth. Its teeth had all vanished and so had the thorns on its stem.

"That is _magnifico_!" it said in a softer female-sounding voice and a distinct Hispanic accent, "I simply adore fraggles! They all have such a wonderful taste for music."

"Well, who are you?" Red asked.

"Oh, how rude of me not to introduce myself. I am the Biddy Biddy Bom Bom Plant."

"The Biddy Biddy Bom Bom Plant?" Gobo repeated, "Can't say I've ever heard of you."

"_Si,_ I'm a very rare plant. There aren't a lot of us left, you know. It doesn't surprise me that you never heard of me. I do believe that the last time I had a visitor was a very long, long, long, long, looooooooong time ago."

"Oh, that's so sad," Mokey said.

"Yeah, no kidding," Wembley agreed.

"_Si,_ it is a very lonely existence, _pero que sera sera, verdad?_"

"What?" the fraggles all puzzled in unison.

"Never mind. It's not important. What matters is that now I have someone to listen to my _musica._"

"So, how is it that you can make music with these rocks?" Goldie asked.

"These are no ordinary rocks, _chica_," the plant answered, patting on one of the boulders, "These are very special rocks I have collected from far and wide. They are one of a kind. And I have them in just the right place so I can make my_ musica_ exactly the way I like it."

"So, was that you making that beautiful music just now?" Mokey asked.

"Oh you mean that garbage? PFFT! That's just my sleep beat. It is the music I play while I'm sleeping. Just forget you ever heard that. Let my show you some real music."

The plant raised all its vines and began to beat the boulders in front of it. The music that came out of them was a bouncy Latin beat that one could easily dance to. The boulders lit up with every beating they took. The song the plant played was so happy and upbeat, the fraggles couldn't help but dance to it.

_(Plant)  
Biddy Biddy Bom Bom.  
Biddy Biddy Bom Bom.  
Biddy... Biddy... Biddy... Bom Bom.  
Biddy... Biddy... Biddy... Biddy..._

_Every time.  
Every time a new face comes by.  
My heart starts goin' crazy.  
And I beat the Bom Bom beat._

_(Fraggles)  
Biddy Biddy Bom Bom, Oooooo-oo-oo-ooooo._

_(Plant & (Fraggles))  
A sweet emotion! (Sweet emotion!)  
A magic potion.  
It's so good it can't be beat._

_(Fraggles)  
Biddy Biddy Bom Bom, Oooooo-oo-oo-ooooo._

_(Plant & (Fraggles))  
A sweet emotion! (Sweet emotion!)  
We make the motion,  
Moving to the Bom Bom beat. (The beat!)  
The Bom Bom Beat! (The beat!)  
The beat! The beat!_

_Biddy Biddy Bom Bom! (Biddy Biddy Bom Bom!)  
Biddy Biddy Bom Bom! (Biddy Biddy Bom Bom!)  
Biddy Biddy Biddy Biddy Biddy Bom Bom!  
Biddy Biddy Biddy Biddy Biddy Bom Bom!_

At the other side of the cavern, in the entrance from the glittery tunnel, a shadowy figure watched nervously as the five fraggles sang and danced with the giant plant drumming on the boulders, with its huge mouth of sharp teeth and thick, thorny vines.

"Oh, this doesn't look good," Boober said to himself, "I have to do something. But what?"

Then he saw the plant wrapping a vine around Goldie's body and lifting her up in the air. Goldie didn't seem to notice at all what was happening. She just continued dancing and singing along with the others as she was hoisted closer and closer to the monster plant's mouth.

"Goldie!" he yelled as he ran across the cavern, jumped into the air and grabbed Goldie's leg and tail.

He hung there until she slipped from the plant's grasp and landed with a thud right on Boober's gut.

"UGH!" he grunted as the wind was knocked out of him.

"Huh?" Goldie said as she snapped out of the plant's hypnotic trance. "What happened?"

"Uuugh..." Boober groaned as he tried to breathe with Goldie still sitting on his gut.

"Oh, Boober, it's you!" She greeted as she stood back up and helped Boober to his feet, "What're you doing here? I thought you stayed home."

"No time for that now! We have to get everyone away from here!"

"What? Why?"

"_ATREVIDO!_" the plant bellowed in a louder, more monstrous voice. "HOW DARE YOU!"

"That's why!" Boober answered as he pointed to the large and snarling plant.

The plant let out a hissing sound and the music came to a sudden stop. The other four fraggles were then released from the trance.

"What the--?" Red blurted out. "Hey, what's going on?"

"RUN!" Boober yelled, and they all started running.

"YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE ME! _YO SOY LA BIDDY BIDDY BOM BOM!_ I WANT TO EAT FRAGGLE!"

As the others kept running, Red and Goldie found themselves landing face-first into the dirt as the plant wrapped its vines around their legs. Immediately they started kicking and grabbing at the vines with their free limbs as they were slowly being pulled back towards the plant.

The others immediately turned back and tried to help release Goldie and Red. A moment later, they were knocked away by a swinging vine. Red and Goldie had arrived at the boulder drums when Red got an idea.

"Goldie, grab the boulder!" she yelled.

"What?"

"Just do it!"

They both grabbed one of the boulders. They kept a firm hold on it as the plant tried to lifted them up, resulting in the boulder moving almost an inch from where it sat. Then suddenly, the plant let out a monstrous scream and dropped the two fraggles in its vines. As soon as they hit the ground, they scrambled away as the plant began readjusting the boulder. The fraggles all took this opportunity to run like the wind out of the cavern and through the tunnel they entered from.

When the plant finally finished putting the boulder back right where it wanted it, it found that the fraggles were nowhere to be found. It snarled and let our an ear-piercing roar that could be heard from all the way down the tunnel, where the fraggles were all safe and sound.

They ran until they finally got back to the caves they were familiar with. They stopped just outside the Cave of the Rumblebugs and took a few minutes to catch their breath.

"Are you guys alright?" Boober panted.

"Yeah," Gobo answered, "We're all okay. Thanks to you, Boober."

"That was so very brave of you, Boober," Mokey commented, "Brave and heroic."

"Yeah, that was really brave, Boober," Wembley added.

"Well, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing," Boober replied, "I had to do something, or that thing would've eaten all of you."

"So what were you doing all the way out there anyways, Boober?" Red asked.

"Out there?"

"Yes, out there."

"Well... I was following you. From a safe distance. Where you couldn't see me."

"That's right! I knew it!" Wembley replied, "I knew we were being followed! Didn't I say we were being followed? I was right!"

"But why were you sneaking around behind us that whole time?" Goldie asked. "Instead of just joining us?"

"In case I should come to my senses and decide to go home."

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't, Boober," Gobo said, "If you weren't over there watching us, we would've been goners."

"Goners, yeah," Wembley repeated.

"Well, I don't know about you," Goldie said, "But I'm ready to call this tour done and go home."

"Don't you want to find that cave the Storyteller talked about, Goldie?" Mokey asked.

"Yeah," Red added, "And find out if that's how your parents wound up in Outer Space?"

"Well sure, but if it means finding more places like that along the way, I think I'd rather just leave for somebody else to discover. We were lucky this time that Boober was around to come to our rescue, but that might not always be the case, you know?"

"I see what you mean," Gobo said, "Exploring's not for everyone, eh. We may not have found that cave, but we did make an important discovery. I can't wait to get home and start marking it on my maps. We'll call it the Cavern of the Biddy Biddy Bom Bom Plant."

"Hey, yeah. Good idea, Gobo," Wembley agreed, "That way everybody can know about it."

"And avoid it," Boober added.

"That's the idea," Gobo replied, "The tour is officially over. Let's go home everyone."

The tired fraggles all agreed and started on their way back home.

"So what was that you said to me yesterday, Gobo?" Goldie teased, "About the dangerous creatures never singing?"

"Hey, come on. I'd never heard of that plant before today. How was I supposed to know what would happen?"

"Relax, I'm just teasing."

As they continued walking, Goldie started to feel a sharp stinging sensation on her skin all around her body.

"Must've been from those thorns," she thought as she slowed down her pace, "Geez, can't I go anywhere and not get hurt?"

"Are you alright, Goldie?" Boober asked as he also slowed down beside her.

"I think that plant's thorns scratched me up," she replied, "I'm stinging all over."

"Well, I've got just the thing."

He reached into the brown paper bag he'd brought with him and pulled out a small clay jar.

"Hold still a moment."

The two of them stopped as Boober unplugged the cork from the jar and dipped his hand inside it.

"And what's that?"

"It's a cream I made with finely-ground jumble grass. It'll ward off any infection you might've gotten. Now brace yourself. It's gonna sting for a little bit."

Boober began to rub it into her scratches. Goldie twitched as the cream made contact with her injuries.

"I told you so."

When he finished rubbing, he plugged the jar back up and stuck it back in the bag.

"Hey, Boober! Goldie!" Red called, "What're you doing? You comin' or what? Keep up!"

"We're coming!" Goldie called back.

She looked over to Boober as they continued walking.

"So, did it help?"

"Yeah. It feels a lot better now. Thanks, Boober."

"Oh, don't mention it. I figured my homemade remedies would come in handy. So I brought them with me."

"You made them all yourself?"

"When you spend as much time as I do worrying about death and pestilence, you try and come out with ways to treat and prevent them."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot that you're a germaphobe. I guess that makes sense."

"Germ-a-what? That's not a word."

"It is where I come from. It's used to describe people like you that have a freakishly strong fear of germs."

"Well, germs aren't the only things I'm afraid of."

"There's more?"

"Well yes. I'm afraid of enclosed spaces and death and pain and spiders and words with 'R' in them, and... you didn't want the whole list, did you? ...Why are you looking at me like that?"

Goldie blinked at him for a moment.

"Words with 'R' in them?"

"Well yes. I've found several different entries in my book of superstitions revolving around the letter R. It's just not safe."

"You have a book of superstitions?"

"Yes."

"And you actually believe it?"

"Of course I do."

Goldie glared at him for a moment, and then she rolled her eyes and sighed. She sped up her pace so she could catch up with the others.

"What?" Boober asked, "What'd I say?"

"Say," Goldie started as she rejoined the group, "Did anyone else find it strange that the plant spoke Spanish?"

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_**Song Credits:**  
- Biddy Biddy Bom Bom—based on Bidi Bidi Bom Bom by Selena_

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	10. Chapter 10

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**  
Chapter 10

The night was still and quiet. Everyone had gone to sleep, and the Rock was calm and peaceful. The light in the Great Hall was dimmed due to the lack of music, as was normal this time of night, so close to morning.

There wasn't a single creature in the area that wasn't fast asleep, that is until a peculiar sound resonated through the caves into the Great Hall. It was the musical sound of a strange and magical flutelike instrument.

The fraggles stirred from their sleep and awoke to this strange sound. It was a sound they were all familiar with. All except for Goldie, of course. Confused by the strange new sound, she stood from her bed and peeked out her doorway. She saw that the other fraggles had wandered out and began to follow the sound towards the Great Hall.

Then she noticed Mokey and Red emerging from their room, seemingly excited about what was happening.

"What's going on?" Goldie asked. "Where's that music coming from?"

"It's Cantus!" Mokey answered, "Cantus has come back!"

"Cantus? Who's Cantus?"

"You'll see," Red answered as she grabbed Goldie's hand and started dragging her off, "Come on."

As they got closer to the Great Hall, the music became clearer. The strange flutelike instrument was accompanied by a handful of other instruments. And the fraggles all sang to it as they walked.

_(Fraggles)  
They come from the hills,  
And they come from the valleys and the plains.  
They struggled in the cold,  
In the heat, and the snow, and in the rain.  
Come to hear them play.  
Play our cares away._

_We're all following a strange melody.  
We're all summoned by a tune.  
We're following the piper.  
And we dance beneath the moon._

_(Cantus plays a quick solo on his pipe)_

_(Fraggles)  
We're following the piper,  
And we dance beneath the moon for him.  
And we dance beneath the moon._

_They come from the south,  
From the east, and the north, and from the west.  
They play for the Rock,  
And they play because they are on a quest.  
Come to hear him play.  
Play our cares away._

_We're all following a strange melody.  
We're all summoned by a tune.  
We're following the piper,  
And we dance beneath the moon._

The fraggles gathered in the Great Hall as a tall and lanky orange fraggle of magenta hair and goatee, wearing loose lavender robes and a pink sash, marched in playing a strange pipe that resembled two hollow branches wrapped around each other, one green, one purple. He was followed closely by a small group of other creatures, all of whom had their own instrument to play in his band, though none as magical as his pipe.

They were the Minstrels, and Cantus was their leader. The fraggles danced and sang as they continued to play.

_(Fraggles)  
We're following the piper  
And we dance beneath the moon for him  
And we dance beneath the moon._

Cantus played a last little tune to finally bring the song to its close.

He took the pipe from his lips and waved to the gathered fraggles.

"Hail, Fraggles!" he greeted.

"Hail, Cantus!" Wembley greeted and waved back, and everyone else did the same.

"Again we'd gone, and again we've come," he continued, "Ever on our quest to unite the Rock with music."

"Play us a song, Cantus!" Red bounced up.

The other fraggles chattered in agreement.

Cantus raised a finger to them.

"Patience, Fraggles," he said, "The time for music will come when it is time for the music to come. No sooner, and no later."

"So, what brings you to our part of the Rock, Cantus?" Mokey asked.

He looked at Mokey for a moment, and then he looked into the crowd, pointing right at Goldie.

"You."

Confused, Goldie looked around her in every direction before looking back at Cantus, whose gaze was fixated on her.

"Me, sir?" she replied, pointing to herself.

"Yes, you."

He then motioned his hand to have her come closer. Slowly, she made her way through the crowd and stopped right in front of Cantus.

"What is your name?"

"Uh... Goldie."

"Goldie, you came here from Outer Space, did you not? And quite recently, I might add."

"Uh, yes, I did. How'd you know?"

"Walk with me, and we will talk."

He turned around and calmly walked away. Goldie hesitated for a moment, wondering what the deal was with this old hippie fraggle and what he could've possibly wanted with her. Slowly, she followed him away. The other minstrels stayed where they sat while they and the other fraggles watched the two leave.

"What's going on?" Red asked the band's guitarist.

"Beats me. He didn't say a word to us the whole way here."

"Hmm..."

* * *

Goldie was starting to get nervous. Just who was this Cantus guy, anyway?

He walked in front of her, tall and lofty like a willow in the wind.

"So um..." Goldie said to break the silence, "Where are we going?"

"Where we are going is not as important as where we will be when this is done."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"It is," he answered and then paused for a moment to turn to her, holding his pointer finger upwards. "And it isn't."

Goldie stared at him for a moment.

"I don't follow."

"Following isn't necessary."

He turned back around and continued walking. Goldie blinked a few times and then continued following.

"Do you ever give a straight answer to anything?"

"The answers I provide to you are all you'll need to know."

The conversation was beginning to drive Goldie crazy. She let out a sigh of exasperation right before noticing how far they've gone from the Great Hall.

"You brought me out here so we could talk, right?"

"That is correct."

"What about?"

"About your problem."

"Problem? What problem?"

He stopped walking and turned to face her. He then pointed upwards to the cave ceiling.

"What?" Goldie asked, looking up where he was pointing.

She was surprised as a big drop of water landed right on her nose. She wiped it off and moved aside just as another drop landed in the puddle below.

"Okay, dripping water. You're saying I have some kind of water problem?"

"Do not assume. Listen. The Rock has many voices, and I hear all of them. All voices are joined together by one rhythm. A rhythm you seem to have trouble finding. I came to help you find it."

"Wait. Find... what? What rhythm? What are you talking about?"

"When you first arrived, you sang a song you could not control."

Goldie felt a lump in her throat when he said that. She swallowed hard, trying to figure out how he could've known that, especially since she was certain no one was around when it happened. She'd never mentioned this problem to anyone. How the heck did he know about it?

"I can see by your expression that I am not wrong. Let us begin."

"Begin? Begin what? What is this? What's going on? Just who are you anyway? How do you know all this? Why can't I control my singing? How am I supposed to fix this? Just wha--?"

He held his hand up to halt her questions, and then pointed to his ear.

"Listen."

She tilted her head and listened. After a moment, she shook her head.

"All I hear is the dripping water."

"You hear, but you do not listen."

"Well, what am I supposed to be listening for?"

"If you will listen, you will know."

"That doesn't really help me."

"Listening is the first step, as it is also the last step. Once you can do this, you will understand."

"But I don't even know what I'm supposed to be listening to!"

"If you will listen, you will know."

She glared at him for a long moment, her lips contorted into an exasperated sneer.

"Are you ON something?!"

Cantus stared back at her, never changing his calm expression. He took a deep breath and shook his head as he let out a sigh.

"I can see that right now is not a good time for you. We will try again tonight when you've had some time to regain your composure, without which you will not be able to listen. And if you cannot listen, you will not know."

"Know what?! This is just getting more and more confusing!"

He said nothing as he walked past Goldie back through the tunnel from which they came, back towards the Great Hall. Goldie just blinked as she watched him leave, being left more confused than when they got there.

"Speak of this to no one," he said finally. "I will see you again tonight."

"Oh, come on!" She yelled. "You've gotta give me more to work with here! Cantus!"

Without another word, he was gone. Goldie looked up at the stalactites from which the drops of water were coming from.

"What does he mean by listening?" she asked quietly to herself. "I don't get it."

She hung her head in thought as she started walking through the tunnel. Only instead of going back to the Great Hall, she turned for home. She didn't want to see anybody else at the moment, or even for the rest of the day. She needed time to think about what little information Cantus had told her, and perhaps try to figure out his cryptic suggestions.

It was obvious to Goldie that this was going to turn out to be a very long day.

* * *

**_Song Credits:  
_**_- The Piper—by Abba, shortened and some lyrics altered_

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

**The Fraggle From Outer Space  
**Chapter 11

"So then Cantus points at Goldie and says 'you!', and then Goldie says 'who me?', and Cantus says 'yes you', and then before we knew it, they were both walking away, and nobody's seen either of them all day since then. Isn't that crazy, Boober?"

"Wembley, why are you telling me all this?"

"Well, you were the only one who wasn't in the Great Hall when Cantus got here, so you pretty much missed the whole thing. I just wanted to make sure you knew what was happening."

Wembley stood behind Boober, who was busy scrubbing another shirt from his wash.

"Doesn't seem to me like I missed much of anything at all. Cantus always has something up his sleeve when he comes here. It doesn't surprise me that he'd be here to do something with Goldie this time."

"Hey, Boober!" Gobo called as he and Red marched right in, "What're you doing cooped up in here, eh?"

"Yeah! You missed the Minstrels' arrival this morning," Red added, "Didn't you hear Cantus playing his magic pipe?"

"Oh, I heard it just fine. I simply chose to ignore it because I knew that whatever his reason was for coming here had absolutely nothing to do with me, which Wembley has just confirmed to me. So instead of wasting my time fussing over something I will have no involvement in, I will instead dedicate my valuable time to something more constructive. Namely, my laundry. So if you'll excuse me, I have an enormous load of socks after this, and I am not intending on leaving it for tomorrow."

"Aren't you even the least bit curious as to what Cantus is doing with Goldie?" Red asked.

"I know I am," Wembley added.

"If he wanted us to know about it," Boober replied, "He wouldn't have dragged her off. This is obviously a private matter, and I for one have no interest in disturbing anyone privacy."

"The other Minstrels don't seem to know anything about this, either," Gobo added. "What do you suppose this means?"

"Hmm..."

-

* * *

-

The Minstrels had all settled in a small cavern by the Great Hall by the time Cantus returned. They usually made it a habit to make their camp off to the side away from the fraggles they played for, and this time was no exception. Cantus walked up to his Minstrels as calmly as he'd left them.

"So, uh, what's the deal with this new fraggle, Boss?"

Murray, the guitarist, a lanky creature of saggy eyes and shaggy dark green fur with streaks of purple, was pretty much Cantus' right-hand man. He didn't like being uninformed. A feeling that was shared with the other three Minstrels.

Cantus paused a moment to look up at his right-hand man, and then he went on to set up camp for himself, setting his magic pipe beside his sleeping bag.

"As I feared, she hears, but she does not listen."

"Okay. So what's this week's definition of 'listen'?"

"It is whatever you think it to be."

"Yeah, that's what I figured. How long do you suppose this'll take?"

"It will take only as long as she does."

Cantus then finished setting up his stuff, picked up his pipe, and walked away. Murray looked at his fellow minstrels.

"Why do I ask that guy questions? Should I even bother asking him questions?"

One shook his head no, one nodded, and one shrugged. Murray shook his head and sighed.

-

* * *

-

Boober breathed a sigh of relief when he was finally left alone to tend to his laundry. He washed two or three shirts and had hung them to dry, every so often pausing to think. He didn't realize until after the third shirt how often he was pausing.

He was uneasy. More so than he normally was, even with Cantus around. Normally, a feeling like this wouldn't really bother him, except this time he had no idea what he was so uneasy about. At first he thought that perhaps it had something to do with Cantus' arrival. There was always something about Cantus that made him nervous, but he never remembered feeling this uneasy about it before. All Boober knew was something was bothering him, and it was driving him crazy.

He tried to just ignore it and go about his evening. There was laundry that needed done, and he was very busy washing it. Normally, that would've been plenty enough to settle any inconvenient uneasiness, but for some reason something just didn't feel right. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get his focus straight.

"AGH! What is wrong with me?!" he yelled finally, grabbing at his shaggy red hair with both hands.

"Boober?" Mokey called as she walked in, "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine!" He retorted and grabbed another shirt to wash.

"Then why did you just ask what was wrong with you?"

"Ugh! I don't know!"

He threw the shirt into the tub and walked over to his small pile of books. He tossed a couple aside before finding the one he was looking for.

"Maybe my book of terrible diseases will tell me what I want to know."

"Oh, don't be silly, Boober. You don't have a disease."

"What makes you so sure? My body feels all tingly. My stomach flutters. And sometimes my knees get weak."

"Oh, Boober. It sounds like you're just nervous."

"No, Mokey. It's more than that," he said as he flipped through his book, "Being nervous is normal for me. I get nervous on a regular basis. I know full well what it feels like when I'm nervous, and this is not it. And it's not like any of the fears I've ever had, either."

Mokey walked up to him and patted him on his shoulder.

"Well, whatever it is, Boober, just remember that all your friends are here to help you however they can. Don't you hesitate to come to us for help, okay?"

"Sure... Thank you, Mokey."

"You're very welcome. Well, I have to go now. I'm going to paint a portrait of the Minstrels, and I'm going to need all the paints I can find. I'll see you later, Boober."

"Bye, Mokey."

She walked out and hummed to herself as she skipped away. Boober finished flipping through his book and closed it in his lap, sighing in frustration.

"There's nothing in here with these symptoms. There's only one thing left to do..."

He put his book down and walked out of his room.

"...And that's to consult the Trash Heap."

-

* * *

-

Frustrated, Goldie paced around her room, sighing occasionally, trying to think of what Cantus was trying to tell her.

"He said something about a rhythm," she thought aloud to herself, "Rhythm to what? What is it that he wants me to listen for?"

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Mokey humming a tune as she skipped past the doorway. She reappeared and peeked inside.

"Oh, there you are, Goldie. We were all beginning to wonder where you've gone."

"Oh, no place special."

"I couldn't help but notice that he dragged you off rather quickly, and the Minstrels don't seem to have any idea as to what he's up to. And since the Minstrels are still here, it leads me to believe he's not finished with you. So what's he doing?"

"I don't really know, either. He wants me to do something, but I'm not really sure what. He didn't really explain much to me, only that he doesn't really want me talking about it to anyone, which is just as well cuz I don't really feel like seeing anyone right now."

"Oh, I see. Don't you worry. I'll leave you alone right now so you can concentrate."

"Um, okay."

"I'll see you later, Goldie. I'm sure whatever Cantus has planned for you is bound to be something wonderful. I can't wait to see what it is."

Mokey giggled and then continued humming that tune she was humming as she trotted away. When Goldie was sure she was gone, a thought occurred to her.

"Cantus mentioned that song I sang," she thought, "And how I couldn't control it. Was my rhythm off? It sounded fine to me."

She walked over to her bed and laid herself down so she could mull it over. After a couple of hours or so of thinking, she managed to drift to sleep.

-

* * *

-

"...And you see that's why I've come to you, Madame Heap."

Boober had just finished explaining his problem to the all-knowing Trash Heap, who listened as intently as she always did. He held his hat with both of his hands, fidgeting with it as he talked.

"I see," she said. "And when did you start feeling this way?"

"Oh, a few days ago, I think. And it keeps getting worse. I'm getting to where I have trouble thinking straight, and I don't know what to do."

"Oh boy," Philo said.

"What?" Boober replied, "What is it?"

"You've got it bad," Philo answered.

"Yeah," Gunge added, "Real bad."

"I knew it! I've caught some horrible disease! What is it?"

"It's nothing to be frightened of, little fraggle," the Trash Heap answered, "All you've got is a textbook case of lovesickness."

"Lovesickness?"

"Yeah, you're lovesick. Over who, I couldn't tell you, but that's what you've got."

"Well, I don't want to be any kind of sick! How do I cure it?"

"You can't cure it. You're just gonna have to live with it."

Boober was shaking at this point, frightened out of his mind. He was sick, and there was nothing he could do about it. He hung his head and put his hat back on it.

"Don't be so glum, little fraggle," said the Trash Heap, "This is something wonderful. You should be rejoicing."

"Uh... I dunno. At least now I know what's wrong with me."

"Oh, come now! There's nothing wrong with you! You act like it's the end of the world or something. Cheer up. All you need to do is figure out who you're lovesick for."

"Will that make it go away?"

"I can't say for certain. What I can tell you is that it will help figure out what to do about it."

"And how do I know who it is?"

"You'll figure that out eventually. For now just try not to worry about it."

"But--"

"The Trash Heap has spoken!" Philo and Gunge interrupted, "Nyeh!"

Boober let out a nervous, slightly whiney sigh and then walked away. The three of watched him as he sulked his way across the garden and around the wall to the Rock.

"Boy, he's really deep in it, ain't he?" Philo commented.

"No kiddin'," Gunge agreed.

-

* * *

-

Boober grumbled to himself a lot of the way home. He tried to think back so he could figure out where he got this lovesickness from. Then it clicked, and he gasped at the very thought of it.

"It's Goldie," he realized, "I got it after she arrived. I knew it! I knew I shouldn't have left the safety of my cave! I let my guard down, and now she's given me this horrible lovesickness disease! Oh no! Oh no! I'm doomed! What do I do?! What do I do?!"

Then he shrieked at the top of his lungs as he ran the rest of the way home.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**  
Chapter 12

"What's cookin', Grandma?" Goldie asked as she hopped down the stairs into the kitchen. "Smells really good."

"Well, dear," the silver-haired woman replied, wiping what was left of the cooking grime from her hands on a nearby rag, "Since this'll probably be our last weekend together, I figured I'd make your favorite dish for dinner tonight."

"The lasagna you make so well with that tomato and radish sauce?"

"That's the one. And you can even take some with you for the long trip."

"Oh, Grandma," Goldie said as she took a seat at the table, "You don't have to do all that just for me. It'll just make the goodbye that much harder."

Grandma giggled as she put her cloth down and sat at the table with Goldie.

"Promise you won't forget us?"

"Don't be silly, Grandma. I'd never forget you and Grandpa."

A door opened behind them and an elderly man stepped into the kitchen, arriving at home after a long day at work. As soon as the door was shut, he sniffed at the air.

"Honey, are you making that funny sauce again?"

"I'm making it for Goldie. You know how much she loves it when I make it."

"I know. I'm just kidding. Something to keep my mind off the fact that our little Goldie is leaving us in a few days."

He hung his hat and coat and joined the two at the table.

"Seems like only yesterday you were just a little ball of fluff running around screaming your scales and arpeggios."

Goldie giggled in embarrassment as she imagined herself as a tiny fraggle singing her first notes.

"You hadn't even said your first words yet, and you were already singing so beautifully," Grandma said as she began to tear up, "And dancing to everything you sung before you could even walk."

"You promise me that you'll make lots of friends when you get there," Grandpa ordered, waving his pointing finger at her, "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Goldie saluted.

"And Goldie," said Grandpa, "If you ever feel like you need to come back to us, and I mean REALLY need to, you'll know where to find us."

"Don't worry. I'll come back to visit."

"That's a really long way to come and visit, dear," Grandma replied, "Are you sure you can handle that?"

"I mean it, Grandma," she said, "Even if Fraggle Rock is supposed to be where I'm from, my home has always been here with you. And it always will be."

Then Goldie opened her eyes, and she was back in her cave on her rock hard bed. She looked around her room as she remembered where she was, glancing over to the suitcase on the rock slab table, and then to the picture frame on the shelf on the far wall.

"Well, that's an odd thing to be dreaming," she thought to herself as she got up from her bed and got ready for the task ahead.

-

* * *

-

Goldie walked through the tunnels, retracing her steps back to the cavern that Cantus had taken her to earlier. All the while, she was trying to think.

"Dang it," she sighed, "All this time I could've spent thinking, but instead I spent it sleeping. I still haven't figured out what that old hippie wants me to listen for. I guess there's no point trying to avoid it."

She slowed down as she stepped inside the cavern. She stopped right in front of the small puddle with the water dripping from the stalactite above.

"What's so special about this dripping water?"

When Cantus noticed Goldie had already arrived before him, he stopped just short of the cavern's entrance. He stayed in the shadows and watched.

Goldie watched each drop as it fell, one after another. Then she remembered something, and listened. That's when she realized:

"The time between drops is always the same. Hmm."

Then she heard something else.

"What's that?"

She stepped towards this new sound and found more puddles, all with stalactites above them dripping water in an almost systematic pattern.

"There's a rhythm to this," she realized out loud. "That's it. That's what Cantus wanted me to listen for. The rhythm of these drops."

She listened some more and began to sway to the beat.

"Drip, drip, drop," she said to the beat of the drops. "Drip, drip, drop. Drip, drip, drop. Drip, drip, drop."

_(Goldie)__  
Drip, drip, drop  
__Little drops of water.  
Beating a tune as you fall all around_

_Drip, drip, drop  
Little drops of water.__  
What can compare to your beautiful sound?  
Beautiful sound.  
__Beautiful sound.  
Drip, drop, drip, drop._

_Drip, drip, drop  
__Little drops of water.  
Your pretty music can brighten the day._

_Drip, drip, drop  
Little drops of water.  
I sing along and my cares fly away._

"Hey, I did it!" she bounced with excitement, "I did it! I could control it! How'd I do that?"

"You listened to the rhythm of the Rock," Cantus said as he finally walked in. "And you sang to it."

"So what happened before?"

"Each world has its own rhythm, and everything in it must follow. You lived in Outer Space, where the rhythm is very different. You heard and felt the rhythm of Fraggle Rock, but you sang to the rhythm of Outer Space. That's why you had trouble."

"You couldn't have told me that before?"

"You needed to hear it for yourself before I could explain it to you. One cannot know what they have not listened to. You have listened, and now you know."

"So why with all the secrecy? Why didn't you want me to tell anyone else about this?"

"Music is the lifeblood of any fraggle. To have no control over it is the greatest of shames. I wanted to save you that embarrassment."

"Oh..."

"BUT now that you have learned the rhythm, we can return to the others so we can share what you have learned today, but without sharing what you didn't know to begin with."

"Sounds good to—Wait, what?"

-

* * *

-

"Boober!" called Gobo "What're you doing now?"

Gobo and Wembley were standing just outside of Boober's room, which had once again been blocked with blankets pinned across the openings.

"Stay away from me!" Boober quivered from inside, "There's no hope for me. You should save yourself while you have the chance."

"So you're quarantining yourself again?" Wembley asked, "But in reverse?"

"Exactly! I told you this would happen! And now I'm doomed!"

"Boober, you're not doomed!" Gobo yelled, "Whatever this is you think you got is all in yer head!"

"You wouldn't be saying that if you were feeling like this. Not that I want you too, which is why I've blocked myself off."

"Ugh! Fine, Boober! Stay in there! Come on, Wembley. Let's go back to the Great Hall. Maybe Cantus is finally back."

"Okay."

-

* * *

-

"I gotta say, Mokey," commented one of the Minstrels, "That's a pretty good likeness."

Mokey had just finished her painting and was showing it to them. Though it was difficult to speak at times with Red hollering in the background for everyone to watch her dives.

"Sure is," Murray agreed, "But hey, what's with the blank spot in the middle?"

"Oh, that! Well," Mokey said and then cleared her throat, "You see, that's where Cantus is going to be when I get the chance to put him in."

"Well, good luck getting him to stay put and pose for you. We did it cuz we got nothin' better to do while we wait for 'im. Speaking of the Boss, here he comes now."

"Oh, Cantus," Mokey called as Cantus entered the Great Hall, "You came back. Did you finish what you were doing with Goldie?"

"Indeed I have, and now we are ready."

"Ready for what?"

"For the music to begin. Goldie?"

Goldie nervously stepped up from behind Cantus.

"I leave you the honors."

"Me?"

"Yes you."

Goldie gulped as the other fraggles gathered around, waiting for the music to finally start.

"Well..." Goldie paused, "I, uh..."

"Goldie."

She looked up at Cantus.

"Remember. Listen."

She nodded and took a deep breath.

_(Goldie)  
I'm nothing special. In fact, I'm a bit of a bore.  
If I tell a joke, you've probably heard it before.  
But I've got a talent, a wonderful thing._  
'_Cuz everyone listens when I start to sing.  
I'm so grateful and proud.  
All I want is to sing it out loud.  
So I say..._

_(Goldie, Cantus, and the Minstrels)  
Thank you for the music.  
The songs I'm singing.  
Thanks for all  
The joy they're bringing._

_Who can live without it?_

_(Goldie)  
I ask in all honesty.  
What would life be?  
Without a song or a dance, what are we?  
So I say..._

_(Goldie, Cantus, and the Minstrels)  
Thank you for the music._

_(Goldie)  
For giving it to me._

_Grandma says I was a dancer before I could walk.  
She says I began to sing long before I could talk.  
And I've often wondered, how did it all start?  
Who found out that nothing can capture a heart  
Like a melody can?  
Well, whoever it was, I'm their fan.  
So I say..._

_(Goldie, Cantus, and the Minstrels)  
Thank you for the music.  
The songs I'm singing.  
Thanks for all  
The joy they're bringing._

_Who can live without it?  
I ask in all honesty.  
What would life be?  
Without a song or a dance, what are we?  
So I say thank you for the music._

_(Goldie)  
For giving it to me._

_I've been so lucky.  
I feel like I can walk on air.  
I want to sing it out to everybody.  
What a joy, what a life, what a chance!_

_(Everyone)  
Thank you for the music.  
The songs I'm singing.  
Thanks for all  
The joy they're bringing._

_Who can live without it?  
I ask in all honesty.  
What would life be?  
Without a song or a dance, what are we?  
So I say thank you for the music._

_(Goldie, looking right at Cantus)  
For giving it to me._

Cantus smiled and gave her a quick head bow. The fraggles all cheered as the song came to its close.  
-

* * *

_**Song Credits:**  
- Little Drops of Water—lyrics mildly modified from "Little April Shower" from Disney's Bambi.  
- Thank You For the Music—by Abba, lyrics slightly modified_

-

* * *

-


	13. Chapter 13

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**  
Chapter 13

"I don't care what you say! I'm not coming out!"

Red and Mokey were trying their hand at convincing Boober to come out of his cave.

"Boober, you are being ridiculous!" Red yelled, "What could you possibly have that could be so awful that you'd have to block yourself away?"

"It's a horrible deadly disease, and the Trash Heap confirmed it!"

"Didn't we already go through this?" Red groaned, rolling her eyes at the blanket-blocked door. "At the expense of Goldie's feelings?"

"Back then, I was worried about getting it. Now I'm just preventing it from spreading. So I'm just going to sit right in here until I die so nobody else has to go through this."

"Oh, how VERY noble of you, Boober."

"Red, please," Mokey said, "Boober. Don't you think you're being just a little bit silly? You sound just fine to me."

"Silly? SILLY? Mokey, I have never been further from silly in my LIFE! If I were any less silly, I'd be a rock!"

"I think he's got rocks in his head," Red whispered.

"Well, Boober," Mokey said, "I can't say we didn't try."

The two of them then walked away, leaving Boober to his self-made solitude. He rolled over on his bed and let his mind wander.

"So this is it," he thought to himself, "This is what it's like to suffer from an incurable illness. It's awful, and yet somehow, I always imagined it to feel a lot worse than this."

He sat up and stared at his feet for a moment.

"Maybe Mokey's right. Maybe I am just being silly."

At that moment, Goldie walked by and noticed that the barricade was back up. Confused, she pulled the blanket aside and peeked inside.

"Boober? What's going on?"

"AH! Goldie!" Boober yelled as he bolted to the door and pushed her back out, "Get back!"

"What the--?! Boober?!"

"I'm so so sorry, Goldie. I don't want to hurt your feelings again, but I don't want anyone else to catch this awful sickness!"

"Sickness? What sickness? What're you talking about? You look and sound perfectly fine to me."

"But I feel like I'm going to die!"

"You're a hypochondriac, too?"

"I am no such thing! My fear of death and disease is perfectly legitimate! And I'm amazed you even know what that word means."

"Are you saying you think I'm an idiot?!"

"NO! No! Nononononono! Of course not! No! Don't be ridiculous! Why would I suggest such a thing?"

Goldie could tell there was something else going on with Boober and that it had nothing to do with illness, and she was starting to go crazy trying to talk to him about it.

"Boober, what is the matter with you? If you've got a problem, then say what it is. Just don't pretend it's some kind of disease when it actually isn't."

"But it IS a disease! The Trash Heap said so!"

"The Trash Heap told you you were sick?"

"Yes! Yes, she did!"

"You know what? You're really starting to get on my nerves. I'm gonna go find some really big doozer constructions to vent my rage on, okay? So when and if you decide to jump off your emo train and talk about what your REAL problem is, just let me know."

"Emo what? I don't even know what that is! What are you talking about?!"

"ARGH!! Never mind! I'm leaving!"

"Fine! Leave me alone here to die!"

"You're NOT dying!"

"Yes I am!"

"ARGH! You are infuriating! You make me wanna...! You make me so...! GOODBYE!"

Goldie marched off with her tail poofed to its max from all the anger she'd built up. When her heavy footsteps finally faded away, Boober breathed a whiney sigh. Then he felt a sort of tightness in his chest and the sudden need to loosen his scarf.

"Oh, now look what I've done!" he moaned to himself, "She's furious with me! And now I feel even worse! Oh, I'm so glad I didn't tell her that she was the one who gave this to me. Who knows what she would've done if I did? Oh, why is this so difficult? I don't want her to be angry with me, but... But..."

He breathed a resigning sigh and sat down on the rocky floor beside the door.

-

* * *

-

"Ah!" Mokey gasped, clasping her hands together, "Boober's in LOVE?"

"It would certainly appear so," answered the Trash Heap.

"Head over heals in it," said Gunge.

"Smitten, even," Philo added.

"But the way HE put it, you'd think he was dying," Red commented.

"Unfortunately, he doesn't know a good thing when he sees one," the Trash Heap replied.

"Ha! Tell me about it," Red rolled her eyes.

"Well, I gave him my advice on the matter," the Trash Heap continued, "Whether or not he took it is his own problem."

"Can you tell us who it is, Madame Heap?" said Mokey. "The one he's fallen in love with?"

"Couldn't tell ya," she answered, shrugging her large cluttered shoulders.

"I don't think HE even knew," Gunge added.

"Guess he was too busy thinkin' he was sick," said Philo.

"Oh, poor Boober," said Mokey. "Thank you, Madame Heap."

"No problem," she replied and waved as the two fraggles left.

"Say," Philo started after they were gone, "Ya think maybe it's cuz of how we said it?"

"Well, we did tell 'im he was lovesick."

"Oh dear," sighed the Trash Heap, "I fear we may have caused a little more trouble than we bargained for."

"Want us to go fix it, Marjory?"

"No, I don't think that's necessary. I'm certain the fraggles can work this out on their own. And if not, we'll most certainly be seeing them again sooner or later."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

-

* * *

-

"Geez," Red groaned as they walked, "Leave it to Boober to take something like love and twist it into something awful."

"Oh, but Red. He doesn't realize what it is yet. He probably still thinks it actually IS something awful."

"Even though the Trash Heap TOLD him that it wasn't?"

"Well, you know how he is."

"Yeah. He's boring, paranoid, and thinks everything's a disease."

"And that's why we have to help him."

"We? Oh no, Mokey. No thanks. I'm sittin' this one out. If Boober wants to make himself miserable about this, that's his own problem. I'm gonna go do something productive. And a whole lot more fun."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Try and break the world record for biggest splash in a fraggle pond."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure if anyone can do it, you can, Red."

"Yup, that's why I'm trying it."

"I do wonder though who it is Boober's in love with."

"Whoever it is, I sure hope it's somebody he gets along with."

-

* * *

-

"AAAAAAUUUUUGGHH!! RAH!! AH!! HIYAH!!"

Cotterpin watched in awe from behind a nearby boulder as the furious pale yellow fraggle rampaged through the massive collection of doozer constructions.

"That JERK!" Goldie yelled and smashed some more, "That STUPID, STUPID, STUPID JERK! RRRRR!!"

"I cannot believe my eyes," she said to herself. "I've never seen a fraggle this mad before."

"Cotterpin Doozer!" called an angry-sounding elder voice from directly behind her.

She turned around to see the Chief Architect Doozer impatiently tapping his toe at her. The only other doozer that wore a visor instead of a helmet. An old ratchety male of white hair and moustache. He was one of the oldest doozers on the workforce, and also one of the toughest to work for.

"Cotterpin, where have you been? Your absence has caused a panic amongst your family and friends, not to mention your mentor, which would namely be ME! How in the name of all Doozerdom do you ever expect to become a respectable Chief Architect if you abandon your duties to go watch fraggles?!"

"But, Mister Architect, sir," Cotterpin whispered, "This is the one I was telling you about. The one that'd never seen doozers before, remember? She's right over there. Look at her."

"Cotterpin, we don't have time for this nonsense! There's work to be done, and plans to be drawn!"

"Oh, alright."

She hung her head and followed the old doozer away, both taking glances at the raging force they were leaving behind.

"GOHDZEELAAAAAH!!" she screamed as she bit into one of the taller towers and broke it to pieces, while also swinging her arms and knocking down several nearby towers in the process. "RAAARRRRR!!"

"Although, I must say, Cotterpin, that she is definitely a strange one," the Architect commented, "Even for a fraggle."

"I told you she was, didn't I?"

"Yes, and if she carries on like that all the time, we can only hope she stays around longer."

And with that, they continued on home, leaving Goldie to her rampage.

"HA!" she yelled as she kicked down the last of the standing constructions and then pointed at it, "Take that, pent up emotion!"

She spent the next few moments panting, hands on her hips, as she looked around at the path of destruction she laid.

"Well, I feel better now," she panted, "That was quite a workout."

She sat down amongst the piles of broken doozer sticks so she could rest and think. Then she figured while she was there, she'd go ahead and munch on the spoils of her personal war.

"These doozers are geniuses, I swear," she said as she crunched, "Good for eating AND taking out your anger. I don't even remember what I was so mad about."

-

* * *

-

"Boober," Mokey sing-songed from outside Boober's room, "Oh, Boober."

"Yes, Mokey."

"I brought you some good news."

"If it's not a cure for my ailment, then I don't want to hear it."

"But Boober, you don't HAVE an ailment. I just spoke with the Trash Heap, and she says you're perfectly fine."

"What do you mean 'perfectly fine'? She told me I was lovesick. How is that perfectly fine?"

"Well, that's just it, Boober. Lovesickness isn't a disease. You're just in love. That's all."

There was a long silence, and then Boober's head appeared from behind the blanket, a very confused look adorned on his face.

"In love? You think I'm in love?"

"Well, that's what lovesickness is, Boober," she explained and leaned closer to him. "The feeling of being in love."

The tightness in Boober's chest suddenly felt tighter.

"And this is GOOD news?"

"Oh, Boober. I envy you so. I wish I could experience it for myself. Being in love is a wonderful thing."

"If it's so wonderful, then why does it feel so awful?"

"Well, that's because you're feeling it by yourself, silly. For love to really feel wonderful, the one you're in love with must also be in love with you. Joined together in beautiful harmony. Hand in hand, tail to tail. And the best part is when you truly know you've found your one true love, the two of you will always sing songs together, even when you're worlds apart."

"You've really given this a lot of thought, haven't you?"

"It is my dream."

"Yeah, well, it isn't mine."

He stepped back inside and began to take his blankets back down.

"All this hand in hand, tail to tail stuff just sounds silly. I don't want any of it."

"But why not?"

"Mokey, this love thing might be well and good for you, but to me it's just a nuisance. It's because of all this that Goldie's so angry with me right now."

"Oh, so it's Goldie?"

"Gng!" Boober stuttered as his face turned nearly as red as his hair. "I uh, well. Um. You see. It's, um..."

"Aw, Boober."

Mokey walked in and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Mokey, please don't tell anyone, especially Goldie. Her opinion of me already isn't all that great. I don't want it to get any worse if she finds out."

"Don't you worry, Boober," she said and made a zipper motion over her lips, "My lips are sealed. No one will know."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"But I want you to promise me something, Boober."

"What's that?"

"Promise me that you'll tell her yourself."

"What?!"

"Trust me, Boober. You'll feel a lot better if you do."

"How can I take your word for it if you've never done it before?"

She leaned lower and brought her face closer to his.

"Promise me, Boober."

"Alright! Alright! I promise! ...I'll tell her."

"Good," she said as she patted him on the head and turned to leave. "I'll leave you to it, then."

She trotted out of the room and out of sight. Boober lifted a finger to his chin as he thought.

"I can't decide if this is better or worse than having a fatal illness, especially with Goldie being as mad at me as she is."

He walked over to his bed and laid himself down in it.

"Maybe if I sleep on this, I'll be able to think of what I'm gonna do. Although, I doubt I'll get any sleep with all these uncomfortable feelings I'm having."

He let out a sigh as he adjusted himself on the bead, falling asleep almost immediately as his head hit the pillow.


	14. Chapter 14

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**  
Chapter 14

"Hahahahahahaaaa!!"

"Oh no," Boober groaned as he sat on a rock that looked like it was drawn with crayon. "Not now."

Around him on a dark background were various objects that all resembled things Boober had in his room (laundry hanging on clothes lines, a washtub, rocks, etc.), except they all looked like they were drawn with crayon. This was Boober's dreamscape, and the voice that was laughing, which was nearly identical to his, was a voice he knew all too well.

"Boober, old buddy, old pal!" the voice greeted with a cheerful bounce in his voice as he slowly appeared in front of Boober, "You sly devil, you!"

He looked almost identical to Boober, except his nose and hair were slightly longer, and he wore a large, colorful, and strange-looking pair of pants and an equally large, colorful and strange-looking hat with brightly colored feathers poking out here and there. This happy-go-lucky and strange-looking fraggle was the fun side of Boober that was always kept on the bottom, otherwise known as Sidebottom.

"What do you want, Sidebottom?"

"Oh, come on, Boober. Lighten up! We're in love! You should be celebrating! You should be RUSHing over to Goldie and SWEEPing her off her feet. Which shouldn't be too difficult for you, Boober, since you tend to do a LOT of sweeping."

"I have no intentions of sweeping her off her feet! What's so great about this love stuff anyway? I've heard stories about this sort of thing! The ones in love always get their lives completely rearranged! I like my life just the way it is! I don't want anything to change!"

"So you'd rather live with the nagging anguish of being in love by yourself? Are you saying you actually LIKE feeling this way?"

"No, I don't! I hate this feeling!"

"Well, then DO something about it!"

"She doesn't even like me!"

"How do YOU know?"

"All I seem to be good at is making her mad, which I've done twice already! Who would want that?"

To this Sidebottom gave a quick grin.

"Well, then it's a good thing you have me to take up the reins for you in these times of need."

"What? I don't need your help."

"Sure you do. You just said so yourself that all you do is make her mad. Let me do the talking, and she'll surely smile for us. She might even love us."

"She's going to think I'm insane!"

"She already thinks you're insane, but I can help her see that there's more to you than just your annoying quirks."

"Quirks? What quirks?"

"Oh, let's see. She only thinks you're a germaphobic hypochondriac. Nope, you're right. What quirks?"

"Germaphobic is not a word!"

"It is to Goldie," he singsonged, "And that's what she sees of you! I can change that, and you know it! Do you want her to like you or not?"

"Well, I don't want her to hate me, if that's what you mean."

"You know full well what I mean. You want her to like you. You can't lie to me, Boober, even by omission. I'm you, remember? There's nothing you can hide from me."

"Well..."

Sidebottom then leaned closer to his old buddy, grinning a very wide and hopeful grin.

"Does this mean you'll let me drive?"

He stood there grinning at Boober as Boober sneered at his goofy counterpart. Then he shook his head and let out a growlish sigh.

"Oh, alright. I'll let you out, but just for a little while."

"Yippee! Goddygoodygoody! Oh, thankyouthankyou, THANK you! Don't you worry about a thing, old Boober, old buddy, old pal. I promise you won't regret this. I'll take care of everything."

"Just don't go overboard, okay?"

"Oh, where's the fun in that, huh?"

"Sidebottom!"

"Alright, alright. I won't go overboard."

"Thank you."

"But what do you think I should wear? Would this be alright, or do you think I should go as Doctor Fun? That was a really fun costume, wasn't it? Oh! Maybe I should go disguised as the Old Gypsy Lady and tell her a love fortune."

"I'd much rather you not make yourself conspicuous."

"Oh, fine. I'll go as you. I've gotta tell ya, Boober, it's gonna make it really difficult for me. Your outfit is SO boring."

"That's just the way I like it. Are you going or what?"

"You don't have to tell me twice. See ya later, Boober! WEEEEEE!!"

Sidebottom then held his arms out and flew up, up and out of sight. Boober shook his head and groaned, crossing his arms as his fun side disappeared into the void above.

-

* * *

-

Gobo made his way down the usual tunnels, making his weekly rounds to the room at the border of Outer Space.

He ducked under the low-hanging pipe and walked to the hole at the end of the tunnel. He just short of the hole and hid off to the side as he slowly peeked out to Outer Space.

To his surprise, the two creatures were missing again.

"I wonder if Goldie scared them away," he thought as he walked in.

He walked down to the end of the workbench where the wastebasket was, only to find that the contents hadn't changed at all since his last visit, including the lack of postcard from Uncle Matt.

"This is really odd," he whispered to himself.

Any further thoughts were interrupted as he heard the door being unlocked. He quickly hid himself behind the wastebasket as the door opened and a familiar old silly creature walked in.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you, Sprocket," Doc said to his dog, who limped through the door behind him. "I guess you're just not wolf material."

"Rawrrr..." he whined, "Mmm, mmm-mmm!"

"Well, I tried to tell you, but you just HAD to pick a fight with those porcupines, didn't you? Now look at you."

Sprocket looked himself over, noting all the bandages around his legs, shoulders, and even his mouth. He let out another painful whine as he limped over to his doggy bed. Doc shook his head and went to his workbench to sort through the mail that had accumulated throughout the week, including the small pile he'd left behind before leaving.

"You can whine all you want, Sprocket, but you brought this upon yourself. We were lucky that there was a veterinarian hospital nearby."

"Awrrrr..." Sighed Sprocket as he dropped his head down on his pillow.

"Now, let's see here. Bills, catalog, bills, junk mail, another postcard to that Gobo Fraggle person..."

Gobo awaited anxiously as the postcard flew down into the wastebasket. He picked it up and began to walk back to the hole.

Sprocket noticed the little orange fraggle walking away and promptly began barking at him through his bandaged mouth, but then he stopped into another fit of whining, holding his mouth with one of his front paws. Gobo paused only a moment to look back at him. After realizing that he wasn't going to be chased this time, he casually continued walking away.

"Yes, I know, Sprocket," Doc replied to his dog's barking, "We really need to do something about these Fraggle people sending their mail over here. Look at this. There's even a letter for a Goldie Fraggle now."

Gobo stopped just short of the fraggle hole when he heard that.

"Goldie?"

"This is just ridiculous, Sprocket," he said as he tossed the envelope into the wastebasket. "Postcards to Gobo Fraggle and now letters to Goldie Fraggle. What next?"

Gobo hurried back and reached into the basket again, careful not to let the old silly creature see him. He picked up the letter and carefully made his way back. Sprocket could only watch and whine as the strange little furry creature once again got away without the old man noticing his existence. Sprocket let out a disappointed sigh and looked up at Doc.

"I know it hurts, Sprocket," he said as he walked over to the dog's bed and knelt down beside him, petting him on the head. "Listen, the vet said you have to try not to move too much until your wounds have healed. So if you need anything, you just bark, okay?"

Sprocket nodded in response. Doc gave the dog's head another quick rub and got back up.

"Good boy. Now you just stay there and try to get better."

-

* * *

-

Wembley bounced along, making a strange little grunty sound with each bounce.

"Mm, mm, mm, mm-mm," He grunted, "Mm, mm-mm, mm-mm. Oh boy! This is gonna be a fun day. Mm, mm-mm, mm-mm, mm-mm."

"Wembley!" called a happy-sounding voice as a greenish-blue fraggle with bright red hair appeared out of nowhere with an uncharacteristically wide grin adorned on his face, and wrapped an arm around Wembley's shoulder, "Wembley, Wembley, Wembley, my good buddy, Wembley!"

"Uh hi, Boober. I thought you were in quarantine again."

"Yes I was, but now I'm out again. Isn't it great? And you are JUST the fraggle I wanna see."

"I am?"

"Yessiree, Wembley. Come 'ere."

He brought his confused greenish yellow friend closer and whispered in his ear.

"You wanna what?" Wembley replied as the whispering continued. "Uh-huh... Right... No kidding... Huh... Well, sure I can."

"Wonderful! I'll see you later."

"You can count on me, Boober."

"I know I can."

The happy blue fraggle watched as Wembley trotted away to performed his assigned task. Not long after his friend had gone, he turned around and began on his way back to his cave.

"Now for the preparations."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait..." a voice said from inside his head.

"What? What's the matter?"

The image of Boober appeared walking beside Sidebottom so they could talk.

"What in the world are you planning, Sidebottom?"

"You'll see! It's gonna be wonderful! She's going to love us after this."

"I don't want her to LOVE me! I just want her to LIKE me! Be MILDLY amused by me! Or even just TOLERATE me! Not love!"

"Baaaah! Who're you trying to kid?"

"I don't kid!"

"Yeah, that's sort of my job, isn't it?"

"Sidebottom, I told you NOT to go overboard!"

"And I'm not. Trust me, Boober. When you see this plan come to full fruition, you're going to thank me. No more bad times. Only good times."

"Forgive me if I don't hold my breath."

"Just leave everything to me, Boober." He said as they walked into their room. "I am nothing if not the master of fun and amusement."

Sidebottom picked up a white long sleeve shirt from seemingly nowhere and put it on.

"Wha—wuh--!" Boober stuttered, "What is this?!"

"Getting myself ready. It is said that a lady prefers a man with class."

"You? Class? HA! Don't make me laugh."

Sidebottom threw a grin in Boober's direction as he continued dolling himself up.

_(Sidebottom)  
Come hand me my cuff links._

(Boober)  
"I don't own any cuff links."

_(Sidebottom)  
And straighten my tie._

(Boober)  
"You're not WEARING a tie!"

_(Sidebottom)  
Just drench me in rich cologne,  
And don't ask me why._

(Boober)  
"What?! No!"

_(Sidebottom)  
Go on and pluck me a boutonniere. _

(Boober)  
"Ugh, this is ridiculous..."

_(Sidebottom)  
We're moving up and walking on air. _

(Boober)  
"Would you please stop singing?!"

_(Sidebottom)  
Stepping out with a star and feeling high._

Sidebottom danced around the room getting as Boober frantically tried to figure out what was going through his head, and also wondering why he knew nothing about it since they shared the same head.

_(Sidebottom)  
We'll get her some flowers. _

(Boober)  
"Flowers?"

_(Sidebottom)  
Let's swipe a guitar. _

(Boober)  
"Uh, let's not."

_(Sidebottom)  
Gonna sweep 'er right off her feet  
Wherever we are. _

(Boober)  
"I told you, I don't want that!"

_(Sidebottom)  
Satin collar and velvet vest.  
Never settle for second best.  
Stepping out with a star,  
Sad times, Bye-bye! _

(Boober)  
"Ugh!"

_(Sidebottom) _("Boober")  
_Have I got class? _("Oh, please don't ask.")  
_Have I got taste?_ ("This is a waste!")  
_On someone else, I swear,  
This savoir faire  
Would be such a waste._

"Savoir faire... Right."

"You could have it if you gave it a shot."

"Yes, but I don't want to give it a shot! Sidebottom, this is precisely what I mean by going overboard!"

"Oh, lighten up a bit, will you?"

_(Sidebottom)  
Come toss me my top hat. _

(Boober)  
"Sidebottom!"

_(Sidebottom)  
I'm ready to fly. _

(Boober)  
"Well, I'm not!"

_(Sidebottom)  
Busting into the upper crust  
As easy as pie. _

(Boober)  
"Upper crust of what?"

_(Sidebottom)  
Just watch your dreams come true. _

(Boober)  
"What dreams?"

_(Sidebottom)  
This is something we were born to do. _

(Boober)  
"What is?!"

_(Sidebottom)  
Stepping out with a star  
That star is you._

"What the--?!" Boober yelped as Sidebottom grabbed him hands and began dancing with him, "Sidebottom! Wha--?! Stop it!"

"Girls like a guy who can dance!" he said as he continued dancing, "Now let's boogie!"

"I don't want to boogie! Let me go!"

_(Sidebottom) _("Boober")  
_Have I got style? _("I don't beguile...")  
_Have I got chic? _("She'll think I'm a freak.")  
_To think that you and me  
Were nobody  
Why, only last week._

"I'm perfectly content with being a nobody."

_(Sidebottom)  
Take a walk on the wild side._

(Boober)  
"What?!"

_(Sidebottom)  
Get ready to fly. _

(Boober)  
"No!"

_(Sidebottom)  
Opportunity knocks but once  
Don't let it go by. _

(Boober)  
"Ugh, Sidebottom, PLEASE!"

_(Sidebottom) _("Boober")  
_I'll make your dreams come true.  
This is something I was born to do.  
Stepping out with a star, bye bad times. _("Wha—But... Ugh!")  
_Stepping out with a star, hey good times. _("Oh, I give up!")  
_Stepping out with a star and feeling hiiiiiiiiiiigh._

Sidebottom set himself up in front of a mirror and adjusted his duds. He was wearing a fine sharp suit with a large yellow polka-dot tie.

"So," he said to Boober, "How do we look?"

Boober shook his head and walked up beside him to look in the mirror. He was shocked to find that he was somehow wearing the same outfit. He looked back and forth between the two in the reflection.

"Which one are you?"

"The one on the right, I think."

"Remove the tie."

"You don't like it?"

"It's just not me. None of this is. And it's not you, either. In fact, you don't look like either of us. That's a very scary thought, that there's a look that doesn't look like either of us."

"You know what? You're right."

He reached down and literally tore off his suit, leaving on Boober's trademark hat and scarf. Boober sneered at his alter ego's antics.

"You only did all that to irk me, didn't you?"

"I just love messing with your head, Boober. You make it so easy."

"So what's your REAL plan?"

"You'll see."

"Sidebottom..."

"Don't worry, Boober! I promised you I wouldn't go overboard, and I always keep my promises."

"And that whole business with Wembley?"

"All part of the plan. Trust me."

"Alright..." Boober said with reluctance, "I'll trust you."

-

* * *

-

_**Song Credits:**  
- Steppin' Out With A Star—From "The Great Muppet Caper", Lyrics slightly altered_

-

* * *

-

--


	15. Chapter 15

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**  
Chapter 15

"Thank you SO much for agreeing to pose for me, Goldie. I've just been so inspired today, I just have to get this out."

Goldie was lying on Red's hammock with her legs crossed and her hands behind her head. Mokey stood a few feet away with a canvas in front of her and a paintbrush in her hand. On this canvas she painted Goldie on the hammock. Behind her was another canvas that she was painting on using her tail as a brush, on which was appearing a picture of her plant, Lanford.

"No problem, Mokey. I didn't really have anything better to do. Doesn't help that I'm still really full from all those doozer constructions I knocked down today."

"Oh, I know. I still can't believe you ate so many. I'll bet the doozers were pretty pleased, though."

"I wouldn't know. I didn't see any. How are you able to do two paintings at the same time?"

"It's simple. I have so many ideas in my head, I couldn't possibly do them all one at a time."

Goldie didn't respond to that. In a way it made sense, but at the same time it didn't. She looked off to the side at Lanford, who seemed to be glaring holes into her from its pot at the other side of the room, which was strange because it didn't have any eyes to glare with.

"And what's YOUR problem?"

Lanford growled at her.

"Yeah, same to you!"

"Lanford!"

The plant's nasty stare disappeared at the sound of its name as it looked over to its owner, letting out an inquisitive purr.

"You be nice!"

It lowered its head to the rock its pot was sitting on, purring sadly. When Mokey took her gaze back to her painting, Lanford looked back at Goldie and quickly stuck its tongue out at her. And Goldie replied by sticking her tongue out at him, which somehow seemed to satisfy the both of them for the moment.

"Sorry about that, Goldie. I don't know why Lanford's so uncomfortable around you. He's usually so friendly. Well... Red doesn't get along with Lanford that well, either."

"It's alright, Mokey. Maybe he just doesn't like yellow fraggles."

"Well, that's a silly reason to not like someone."

"Tell that to some of the humans in Outer Space."

"They don't get along because of what color they are?"

"A lot of them. And that's just one of the reasons they don't get along with each other."

"Well, why don't they? I mean it's so easy to just accept a person for what they are and move on."

"Apparently, it's not that simple for them. One of a lot of things that makes me glad I'm not one of them."

"It's so strange. When Gobo's Uncle Traveling Matt writes about the silly creatures in Outer Space, it's always something nice and silly."

"That's because he's blessed with the inability to see any of the awful things in Outer Space. He doesn't know it like I do, so all he sees is the wonder and the excitement."

"Oh... I see."

"Don't get me wrong, though. Not all humans are like that. My grandparents, for example. They love me for who I am, and they don't really care WHAT I am. They always supported me in anything I wanted to do, even after I made my decision to leave home and come here."

"It must've been so hard for you to leave such a caring family behind."

"Yeah..."

Goldie's mind trailed off to her grandparents, to their nice comfy house. She wondered what they were doing at this very moment.

Mokey noted the distant look on Goldie's face.

"Goldie?"

"Hm?"

"Do you like it here in Fraggle Rock?"

"Yeah, I love it here. I've made so many wonderful new friends; I can't even count them all. And I've even learned a lot about myself and why I am the way I am. I think coming here was the best decision I've ever made."

"Well, that's good at least."

Mokey continued her paintings for a moment until another question crossed her mind.

"Say, Goldie."

"Yeah?"

"What do you think of Boober?"

"What?" Goldie replied in confusion at the sudden change of topic.

"You know, Boober. What do you think of him?"

"I think he's a weirdo."

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"I dunno. One minute he seems like a really nice guy, and the next he's all crazy. Like today, he was hiding in his room again, babbling about how he was dying of some horrible disease."

Mokey bit her lip so she wouldn't tell Goldie the truth about Boober's so-called illness. She remembered she'd promised Boober she wouldn't tell her and that she'd let Boober do it. It was apparent that he hadn't done so yet.

"I could tell there was something else going on with him, but he wouldn't tell me what. It made me so mad, I had to go and vent my anger before something regrettable happened."

"Oh, so THAT'S why you were tearing at those doozer constructions."

"Yeah... Hey, are you done with that painting yet?"

-

* * *

-

"Hey, has anyone seen Goldie?" called Gobo as he entered the Great Hall.

His question was followed by a series of no's and head shakes from most of the other fraggles in the room. Gobo then walked over to the pond, where Red was getting ready to make her jump from high on one of the taller rocks.

"Hey, Red. Ya got a minute?"

"Can't talk now, Gobo," she said plainly as she started her stretches, "I'm way too busy right now."

"Tryin' to break the splash record again, eh?"

"You betcha."

"Don't you think it's a little silly to try and beat a record you already beat?"

"What, and let my guard down while somebody else tries and take it? I think not!"

"Suit yerself."

"Alright, you ready, Lou?" Red called to the lavender fraggle taking notes below.

"Yup!" she called back "Ready to go, Red!"

"Okay, here I go!" she called and made a back flip off the rock, "WOOHOO!"

She curled into a tight cannonball and spun wildly as she hit the water, creating a huge splash that sent water through most of the Great Hall. Fortunately, Gobo had the letter and postcard safely put away in his vest pocket before the splash hit him. He shook himself dry as Red came swimming up to the edge of the pond.

"Did you see that, Gobo? I'll bet that was the record-breaker! What was the score on that one, Lou?"

"You made a perfect barrel-roll cannonball, Red."

"I already know the technique I used. What was the score on the splash? Did I beat the record or what?"

"Nope, you were just two inches short of the record. Sorry, Red."

"No problem. All I gotta do is try again."

"Uh, this was your tenth attempt, Red," Lou pointed out, "I think maybe you should take a break before making your next one."

"Good idea," Red replied as she climbed out of the pond and dried herself with a towel Lou handed to her. "I need to be perfectly focused if I'm gonna beat that record. I'll see you in a few minutes, Lou."

"Roger," she replied with a salute as she set her notes down and walked away.

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about, Gobo?" Red said as she finished toweling herself.

"I went to Outer Space to pick up my postcard today."

"Well, that's nothing new. You go EVERY week."

"Yeah, but this week I also found a letter for Goldie. I didn't see her in her room, so I was wondering if you've seen her around."

"Nope. Sorry, Gobo. Haven't seen her all day."

"Haven't seen who all day?" Mokey asked as she walked in.

"Hey, Mokey," Gobo greeted, "I've got a letter here for Goldie. Have you seen her?"

"She was just in my room with me a few minutes ago."

"Any idea where she is now?"

"Sorry, Gobo. I haven't a clue."

"Well, I guess I'll just leave this in her room for her to find later then," he said as he started walking past the girls and out of the Great Hall, "Thanks anyway. I'll catch ya later, eh. Hey, maybe I'll come back and break yer record for you, Red."

"Ha! Not if I beat it first! Come on, Mokey, pick up Lou's notes real quick."

"Okay, Red."

-

* * *

-

"So where are you taking me, Wembley?"

"Oh, you're really gonna love it, Goldie. It's real pretty there. Lotsa pretty lights. And the acoustics aren't too bad, either."

Wembley was taking Goldie to Firefly Cavern, a place which served as an alternative gathering place for the fraggles for when they decide not to gather in the Great Hall. Sidebottom, posing as Boober, had sent Wembley on a series of errands, the last of which was to bring Goldie to the cavern.

"So I guess it's a good place to make music, huh?"

"Oh yeah, definitely. Just wait and see. You'll love it. Oh boy, there it is! Come on!"

Wembley broke into a run as they arrived at the cavern, and Goldie followed close behind. To Goldie's surprise, the cavern was actually quite dark. She stopped for a moment as Wembley kept running to the far end of the room. Confused, Goldie looked around the room trying to figure out why the place was called Firefly Cavern if there weren't any lights. And then she realized that Wembley had disappeared into the darkness.

"Wembley?" She called. "Hello?"

"Hit it!" Wembley yelled and then began a beat on the bongo drums he had laid in front of him.

Then a spotlight appeared ahead, shining on a fraggle that Goldie thought resembled Boober, only he was wearing a poofy white shirt with frills at the sleeves and neck, and he had a pair of maracas in his hands and a wide smile on his face.

"Ugh, how did I let you talk me into this?" the image of Boober asked as Sidebottom flaunted his newest costume. "This isn't going to work."

"Trust me, Boober," Sidebottom replied to him in thought, "You'll thank me for this."

"Hahh," Boober sighed and covered his eyes, "I can't bear to watch."

Then the sound of bongo drums and trumpets began to play as Sidebottom began to dance with his maracas. Goldie couldn't help but laugh at this as the fraggle she assumed to be Boober began to sing.

_(Sidebottom)  
They call me Cuban Pete.  
I'm the king of the rumba beat.  
When I play the maracas I go  
Chick Chicky-boom, Chick Chicky-boom._

As he continued singing and dancing, he slowly made his way towards Goldie, who just chuckled at him as she crossed her arms and watched him perform.

_Yes sir, I'm Cuban Pete.  
I'm the craze of my native street.  
When I start to dance everything goes  
Chich chicky-boom, Chick Chicky-boom._

_The senoritas, they sing and how they swing with this rumbero  
It's very nice, so full of spice  
And when they're dancin they bring a happy ring the maraquero  
Singin a song, all the day long_

_So if you like the beat  
Take a lesson from Cuban Pete,__  
And I'll teach you to Chick Chicky-boom,  
Chick Chicky-boom, Chick Chicky-boom_

Sidebottom tossed his maracas aside, took Goldie by the hand, and swung her around to start dancing with her.

"Woah, Boober!" she laughed as she was caught in the dance, "What's all this?"

"What, you don't like to dance?"

"No, I love to dance."

"Perfect."

_(Sidebottom)  
Si, señorita, I know that you will like the chicky boom chick  
It's very nice, so full of spice.__  
I'll place my hand on your hip and if you will just give me your hand  
Then we shall try, just you and I._

_So if you like the beat__  
Take a lesson from Cuban Pete  
__And I'll teach you to Chick chicky boom,  
Chick Chicky-boom, Chick Chicky-boom_

As Sidebottom continued their dance to the beat of the music, Goldie watched him carefully. She knew that he had to be Boober, but she could feel there was something else going on.

"So what's going on here, Boober?"

"I just wanted to make up for how I acted earlier. Is that so wrong?"

"No I guess not," she chuckled and then paused for a moment. "But I can't help but feel like there's more to it than that."

At that instant, time seemed to slow to a crawl as the image of Sidebottom stepped out of Boober's body and walked around behind Boober's image.

"That's your cue, Boober. Break a leg."

"Wait! Wha--?!" Boober protested as Sidebottom pushed him to his body "Sidebottom, wait! Stop! No!"

Boober shook off the rush of being shoved back into his own body. Goldie tilted her head in confusion as the dance suddenly stopped, though the music still kept playing. Then Boober realized the position he was in and quickly took a couple steps back away from Goldie.

"I'm sorry," he said, "This was all too weird. I... This wasn't..."

"Boober, what's going on with you?"

"It's just that... Well..."

"Tell her you wanted to make up for being a jerk earlier!" Sidebottom whispered from behind him.

"Oh, you be quiet!"

"Who are you telling to be quiet?!" Goldie

"What!? No! Not you! Somebody else! It's uh... The music. Yeah! Stop the music, Wembley! Be quiet!"

The cave creatures that were playing the trumpets quickly ended their music while Wembley stopped beating on his drums.

"Uh, okay, Boober," Wembley replied nervously as he picked up his bongos and left. "I guess I'll just be going then."

After Wembley and the cave creatures were gone, Boober looked at Goldie, who had the most perplexed look on her face he'd ever seen. He let out a sigh and shook his head.

"Look, Goldie, I... I don't like making you mad. I... I know I can be a little... eccentric at times, and I can't help the things I'm afraid of, but... the truth is... I like you. I don't want you to hate me."

This caught Goldie completely off guard. She didn't know what to say to that.

"All of this..." he continued, looking around the room and pointing to the firefly lights, "Was mostly to make up for what happened earlier. I just wanted you to see something of me besides a... a germaphobic hypochondriac."

Goldie smiled as he finished speaking. She stepped up to him and took his hand, clasping it with both her hands.

"I don't hate you, Boober."

"You don't?"

She shook her head.

"You didn't have to do all this just to apologize. I'd already forgiven you long before I was brought here."

"You had?"

She nodded.

"You're a really nice fraggle, Boober... in spite of your little eccentricities."

"Eh heh-heh."

"And for the record, I like you, too."

Boober let out a gasp as his face suddenly turned as red as his hair. His heart began racing and his knees grew weak. It was right then that Boober finally figured out what Mokey was talking about. But then he wildly shook his head to snap himself out of it.

"No! Nonononono!" he sputtered and started to run away.

"Oh, no you don't!" Goldie yelled and grabbed his tail so he couldn't go anywhere.

"I can't do this, Goldie!" he yelled back, "I'm not ready for it!"

"Ready for what?"

"When two fraggles fall in love with each other, they sing the Song of the Forever Promise, and then their lives get completely turned around! I'm not ready for that yet!"

Goldie blinked at Boober for a moment, trying to figure out what he meant. Then something clicked in her head, and she knew exactly what the problem was.

"So you're afraid of getting married," she smiled.

"Getting what?"

"When two humans are in love with each other--"

"Humans?"

"Er, Silly Creatures. When they love each other enough, they get married. They promise to live together and stay together forever."

"Yes, that's exactly it. I don't want that yet."

"But you do like me, right?"

Boober hung his head, not really wanting to answer the question.

"Yes. Very much so."

Goldie smiled and released her grip on his tail.

"When two humans fall in love, they first do this thing called 'going steady'."

"Going steady?"

"Humans don't get married right when they fall in love. They go steady first. Spend some time to really get to know each other before they make the promise and move in together."

This idea sparked Boober's interest. He was wide-eyed with amazement at the sheer brilliance of the idea.

"So nothing has to change?"

"Nope, nothing," Goldie answered, "I don't want to get married yet, either. So maybe you would like to go steady with me instead?"

Boober hopped closer to Goldie and took her hands in his.

"Are you kidding? I'd love to! That is the most ingenious concept I've ever heard! And it was invented by Silly Creatures!"

Goldie giggled. This was the happiest she'd seen Boober since she arrived, and she found it absolutely charming.

"Hey, let's go back to my cave," Boober suggested as the two started walking, "I'll whip up my famous Radish Soufflé."

"You can cook?"

"Cooking happens to be my expertise. That and laundry."

"Of course," she laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

"I'm serious. Cooking and laundry are my areas of expertise."

Goldie decided to leave that topic where it was. She looked to Boober, who couldn't keep his eyes off her. The instant their eyes met, he blushed and looked away. She grinned as a thought suddenly occurred to her.

"So all that talk of you thinking you were dying," she said, "It was actually these feelings, wasn't it? You just didn't know what it was."

"Ngh!"

Goldie laughed at his sudden tenseness.

"You know what, Boober? You're a dork."

"Is... Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Goldie just busted up laughing, realizing that Boober didn't know what a dork was. She placed an arm over his shoulder.

"Never mind, Boober. Let's just get to your place."

* * *

-

* * *

_**Song Credits:**_

_- Cuban Pete—by Desi Arnaz, shortened version_

* * *

-

* * *


	16. Chapter 16

**The Fraggle From Outer Space**

Chapter 16

The following morning, Boober was on Cloud Nine. He walked along the tunnels with an air of absolute bliss. The smaller cave creatures could sense this from their cracks and crevices in the rock and joined in his jubilation.

_(Cave Creatures)  
La-da-da-dum. Gachung. Gachung. Gachung.  
La-da-da-dum. Gachung. Gachung. Gachung._

_(Boober)  
I care for you.  
It's kinda magical. It just takes two._

_(Cave Creatures)  
Gachung-Gachung, Chung._

_(Boober)  
To share with you.  
I'd like to show you by the little things I do._

_(Cave Creatures)  
Ca-ching!_

_(Boober)  
It warms my heart  
(Waaaaaaaaa...)  
To think  
(Aaaaaa...)  
That you might feel like sharing too.  
(...aaaaaa, feel like sharing too.)  
That's what it's all about,  
Because I care for you._

_(Cave Creatures)  
Gachung. Gachung. Gachung.  
La-da-da-dum. Gachung. Gachung. Gachung.  
Chung-Gachung._

_(Boober)  
It isn't so hard.  
All you have to do is try._

_  
(Cave Creatures)  
Gachung-Gachung, Waaaaa..._

_(Boober)  
When you make the first move,  
(Aaaaaaaaaaa...)  
You'll see..._

_  
(Boober and Cave Creatures)  
Good things usually multiply._

_(Cave Creatures)  
Waaaaa..._

_(Boober)  
Somehow it all works.  
(Aaaaaaa-aaaa...)  
No, it's really not so rare._

_(Boober and Cave Creatures)  
Give a little here.  
Give a little there.  
No, it doesn't take much,  
To show you care._

_I care for you.  
It's kinda magical. It just takes two._

_(Cave Creatures)  
Gachung-Gachung, Chung._

_(Boober and Cave Creatures)  
To share with you.  
I'd like to show you by the little things I do._

_(Cave Creatures)  
Ca-ching!_

_(Boober and Cave Creatures)  
It warms my heart  
To think  
That you might feel like sharing too. (Woo-oo)  
That's what it's all about,  
Because I care for you._

_(Cave Creatures)  
Gachung. Gachung. Gachung.  
La-da-da-dum. Gachung. Gachung. Gachung.  
La la la Waaaaaaaaaaa..._

-

* * *

-

Goldie was busy brushing her hair after having just woken up. As she brushed, she recollected the events of the night before. She was still having trouble believing that it actually happened.

"I wonder what he's doing right now," she wondered in thought and then laughed. "Probably still cleaning up the mess from that soufflé. Boy, was that a messy explosion. At least it still tasted good."

When she finished brushing her hair and put her brush down, she noticed something new on the table beside the suitcase.

"What's this?" she asked as she picked up the envelope that Gobo had placed there the day before.

"A letter?"

She opened the envelope and pulled out the folded piece of paper enclosed. She began to read it, and as she did, slowly she started to feel as if her heart had lodged itself in her throat.

"Oh no... Oh no no no... Oh no... Oh, what do I do? What am I gonna do?"

Clutching the letter in her hand, she sprinted out the doorway towards the one place she knew she could go to look for answers.

-

* * *

-

"Mokey!"

"AH!"

Mokey sprang up in her bed as she was suddenly awakened by Boober yelling in her ear.

"Mokey! Wake up!"

Once the adrenaline rush finally ended, she turned to Boober as calmly as she could while trying her hardest not to appear upset by the rude awakening.

"Yes, Boober. What is it?"

"Mokey, you were right! I confessed my feelings to Goldie, and she feels the same way! Now I feel wonderful! For once in my life, I feel nothing but absolute joy!"

"You see? I told you you would."

"I have you to thank for this, Mokey, so I figured you should be the first to know about it."

"Well, thank you, Boober. And congratulations."

"Thank you, Mokey. Oh, I have to go. I'm gonna make a special lunch for Goldie, and I need my kitchen in tip top shape if I'm gonna do it. I'll see you later, Mokey!"

And with that he left just as suddenly as he entered. Red, who had been awake for the entire conversation, turned her drowsy head towards Mokey.

"So it's Goldie, huh?"

"Yes, it is. Oh, Red, isn't it wonderful? Boober has finally found something to be happy about."

"Did he sing the Song of the Forever Promise yet?"

"Oh, he left so quickly, I didn't get the chance to ask."

"That would really be something if out of all of us, Boober winds up singing that song first."

"Aren't you happy for him?"

"Sure I am, Mokey. I couldn't be happier that he's found something to distract himself from his thoughts of impending doom. It's really funny, if you think about it. I mean this is Mr. 'Fun Leads To Catastrophe' we're talking about here. Don't you find it a little ironic that HE'D be the one to sing the Song of the Forever Promise first?"

"True love comes from strange places, Red. And it comes when you least expect it."

"Tell me about it."

-

* * *

-

Goldie stood by the gap in the stone wall, staring out to the garden and the castle beyond it. She swallowed hard as she debated to herself whether or not she was going to cross. The letter in her hand was beginning to wrinkle as she kept a firm grip on it with both hands.

The gorgs were nowhere to be seen at the moment, but she knew that at any moment, one could walk out of the castle and spot her. She knew she had to be cautious if she was going to make it to the Trash Heap.

"I can do this..." she said to herself. "I can do this. One... Two..."

She took a deep breath and made a mad dash across the garden, past the oversized radishes all the way to the other side, where the Trash Heap and her companions were waiting.

"Well, hello, little Fraggle," the Trash Heap greeted as Goldie ran up. "My goodness, child! You look as if you were running from a poison cackler."

"I might as well have been," Goldie panted, "Whatever a poison cackler is. But I had to come here. I need your advice."

"That's what I'm here for, child. What seems to be the problem?"

"Well, I got a letter from my grandpa back home," she said as she pulled out the folded letter, "And he says that my grandma fell down the stairs and now she's in the hospital."

"Oh my," said the Trash Heap.

"Psst! What's a hospital?" Gunge whispered behind Marjory to Philo, who replied by shrugging his shoulders.

"Beats the heck outta me." he whispered back.

"She's in bad shape, too," Goldie continued, hanging her head. "Grandpa doesn't make a lot of money, so I know he can't afford to take time off work to take care of her."

"I see," the Trash Heap replied.

"Psst! What's a money?" Philo whispered to Gunge.

"Who knows?" Gunge whispered back.

"They don't have any friends or relatives nearby," Goldie continued, "So if Grandpa can't get off work, there's nobody to take care of Grandma."

"Quite the dilemma indeed. And what do you intend to do about it?"

"Well, that's just it. I don't know what I'm gonna do. I know I should probably go back home and help take care of Grandma, but..."

"But you do not wish to leave all the new friends you've made here," The Trash Heap finished the sentence that Goldie had paused.

Goldie hung her head.

"Yes..." she replied sadly.

"And what does your heart say, child?" asked the Trash Heap.

"It's saying way too much right now," said Goldie with a sigh. "Part of it is saying I should go back and help Grandma and Grandpa, but the other part is saying to stay here at Fraggle Rock... but how can I just pick between the two...?"

"And therein lies the curse of having a heart," said the Trash Heap kindly. "During our lives we experience joys beyond our imagination, but in order to appreciate that joy, we must also experience sorrows as well. How we move in regard to these events define who we are..."

"Well... Do you have any suggestions?"

"You've already heard what the voices in your heart are telling you. What you need to do is listen for which voice is speaking the loudest."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean, young fraggle, is that you have to decide which solution is most prominent in your heart's perspective," explained the Trash Heap. "Listen closely to what your heart is telling you and allow yourself to act on whichever sounds loudest."

"Yeah, like how sometimes Gunge's stomach takes charge of his body more than his brain," said Philo with a sneer.

"Hey!" said Gunge, flailing his arms in the air. "You're a fine one to talk!"

"Boys, that's enough," said the Trash Heap, silencing the two rodents. "Goldie, close your eyes. Think about your friends and your family."

Goldie did as the Trash Heap said. She could hear her heart crying out in somber beats. She thought of her friends and of her grandparents. She thought of how her grandparents had taken care of her until the day she left for Fraggle Rock. She thought of how her new friends had shown her around her new home. And then she thought about everything that happened between her and Boober. It was impossible to choose.

"They sound the same..." Goldie whispered.

"Listen closer," she heard the Trash Heap say.

Goldie thought back to her words from before in regard to her grandparents. There would be no one to take care of Grandma if Grandpa couldn't get off work. What if she fell again...? What if she...?

Goldie then thought to what her friends would be losing. They would lose Goldie, but she could always write to them. They could always have fun without her and tell her all about it when she got back... if she got back... and Boober, he would lose being able to see Goldie's smile everyday. Tears started streaming down her saffron colored cheeks.

"Thank you, Madame Trash Heap," said Goldie in between sniffles.

"You've decided then...?" asked the Trash Heap. Goldie nodded.

"Yes," said Goldie. "I'm going back to my grandparents. They need me, and despite how much it hurts to leave, I can't be selfish. They took such good care of me, I have to return the favor."

"Very well..." said the Trash Heap. "If that is what you think if best. I look forward to the days we can speak again, dear."

"Thank you," said Goldie. "Madame Trash Heap, Philo, Gunge, thanks for everything... Goodbye for now...!"

"Have a safe journey, young one, and don't forget everything you've learned here."

"The Trash Heap has spoken," Philo and Gunge said softly.

Goldie gave a quick nod as she turned and ran off. The three of them watched.

"She ain't actually gonna leave," Philo said after Goldie was gone, "Is she, Marjory?"

"It was her own decision. She'll see for herself if the path she chose was the correct one."

"And which one WAS the correct one, Marjory?" Gunge asked.

"There wasn't one. It's just one of those things where you have to pick which one will make you suffer the least. It's a real shame."

"Yeah, no kiddin'," Philo agreed, "Say, you think we shoulda told her dat the Gorgs weren't home today?"

-

* * *

-

* * *

_**Song Credits:**  
- I Care For You—from "Care Bears: The Movie II"_

* * *

-

* * *


	17. Chapter 17

**The Fraggle From Outer Space  
Chapter 17**

It was late afternoon in Fraggle Rock, and Goldie was waiting impatiently in Boober's room, suitcase in hand. She really wasn't looking forward to what she was going to have to tell him when he finally returned from wherever it was he went.

"What am I going to tell him?" she asked herself with a sigh, "What CAN I tell him? There's just no easy way to say it."

"I'm sorry I'm so late, Goldie," Boober said as he entered the room, carrying a large stack of plates, all filled with different sorts of foods. "You would not believe the sorts of things one has to go through to get the ingredients they're looking for."

One by one, he placed the plates neatly on the table between them. He didn't even seem to notice the suitcase in Goldie's hands as he carefully set each dish in its place.

"Take this Cucumber-Minkleberry Paté, for example," he began, picking up the plate of paté and pointing to it with his free hand.

"Boober..."

"It's incredibly difficult to find cucumber-minkleberries this time of year."

"Boober."

"And once you do find them, I have to make sure not to pick Bonkleberries by mistake. Wembley's horribly allergic to Bonkleberries, so I try to avoid them in my cooking as much as possible. And also--"

"BOOBER!!"

He nearly dropped his plate as Goldie's bellow halted his train of thought.

"What?" he asked innocently, "What is it?"

Goldie glared at him for a good long moment, her expression slowly morphing to one of sadness.

"Goldie?" Boober said as he put the plate down and stepped around the table to her, "What's wr--?"

His question was halted when he finally noticed the suitcase. He looked up at Goldie, then back down to the suitcase, and then up at Goldie again.

"What's going on?"

"Boober," she started, looking away from him for the moment, "I have to leave."

"You're..." he stammered, "You're leaving? But... Buh-b-b-but why?! Why are you leaving?! Did I do something wrong?! Can I fix it?!"

"No, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm needed back home. I'm leaving tonight."

"Home?! No! Fraggle Rock is your home! Outer Space is for Silly Creatures! You are not a Silly Creature!"

"Boober, please! My family needs me!"

"I need you!!"

They were yelling at each other nose to nose at this point. There was a long and smoldering pause in between them after that. Goldie couldn't think of anything else she could say to him, and Boober was still trying to figure out what was happening. He felt like someone had taken a wrench to his heart and twisted it tight.

Slowly, they separated noses and stepped away from each other.

"Boober..."

"No," he said with a dull and oddly calm tone, "If you want to go, then go. There's the door."

"Boober, it's not--"

"It's obvious that you'd be happier with your family in Outer Space than you would be here w... here in Fraggle Rock..."

"Boober, I--"

"Just go."

Boober watched Goldie as she lifted her suitcase back up, walked past the short greenish-blue fraggle, and paused at the doorway to look back at him. He turned his head away.

"Would you just go? I hate long goodbyes."

With a long and heavy sigh, Goldie turned back around and disappeared through the doorway.

After a minute or two, Boober peaked out the doorway and looked down the tunnel both ways. As he feared, she wasn't anywhere to be seen.

He hung his head and stepped back inside. He looked around the table and at the feast that he had so painstakingly prepared for the lunch they were to share.

He gritted his teeth and then let out a series of shrieks and screams as he slammed his fists down on the table, flipping plates and food all over the place. He swung his arms until nearly all the dishes were thrown from the table.

He stopped his rampage when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. From the edge of the table, he picked up a familiar-looking bag made of rough brown paper.

He stared at this seemingly simple item for what seemed like an eternity. After a long moment, he let out a weeping sigh as he pressed the bag to his face, sobbing as he leaned down on the table.

-

* * *

-

It seemed to Goldie that every step she took felt heavier and heavier. Even as she stepped into the busy bustle of the Great Hall and tried her best to just shuffle past on her way to the exit. She was almost across when a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Yo Goldie!" Red called as she climbed out of the pond and walked over to her. "Hey, we need a fourth swimmer to race. You game?"

"Uh... Not today, Red."

"Hey, what's wrong? You look like you just went through something awful."

"I did... I still am."

"Well, what do you mean, you still are?"

"I'm leaving."

"Leaving?!"

"Say what? You're leaving?" Wembley added as he jumped in.

Gobo and Mokey walked up behind him.

"There was some bad news in that letter, wasn't there?" Gobo asked.

"Yeah," Goldie nodded, "Really bad. And I need to go back so I can help."

"But... But you're coming back, right?" Wembley asked. "We'll see you again soon, right?"

"...I don't know."

"Oh, Goldie," Mokey said as she placed her hands on Goldie's shoulders, "We understand completely. There are times when one must do what is necessary for the sake of their loved ones."

"Yeah, but what about Boober?" Red asked, "What's he say about all this?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Goldie replied, "I just need to get going."

"Hey, come on, Goldie," Gobo said, "Surely you have time for one more song before you go."

"Yeah, that's a great idea, Gobo," Wembley agreed, "A goodbye song."

"I'm not really in the mood for singing," said Goldie.

"Well, you can't stay sad forever, Goldie," said Mokey.

"Yeah," said Red, "Cheer up. Everything's gonna be alright. You'll see."

_(Goldie)  
I can't help but feel so sad.  
Why did things turn out so bad?  
Was it just a dream,  
Everything we did,  
Everything we had?_

_(Gobo)  
Goldie, give me one more dance...  
While the music still goes on.  
Don't think about tomorrow.  
_

_(Gobo, Mokey)  
Dance...  
And forget out time is gone.  
Tonight's the night we borrow._

_(Gobo, Wembley, Mokey, Red)  
Let's make it a memory, a night of our own.  
A thing to remember when we're all alone.  
_

_So dance...  
It's our way to say goodbye.  
Yes, all we have to do is..._

_(Every Fraggle in the Grat Hall)  
Dance...  
While the music still goes on.  
This is no time for crying._

_Dance...  
Don't you hear them play our song?  
You know that we've been trying  
_

_Don't think you weren't welcome.  
We're glad that you came.  
We hope you come back.  
We can play some more games._

_So dance...  
While the music still goes on.  
Don't let it be our last goodbye._

_(Goldie)  
Yet it seems to make me sad.  
Why did things turn out so bad?  
Whas it just a dream,  
Everything we did,  
Everything we had?_

_(Gobo, Wembley)  
Goldie, give me one more..._

_(Everyone)  
Dance...  
While the music still goes on.  
Just like the day we met you._

_Dance...  
And believe us, when you're gone,  
You know we won't forget you.  
_

_Now you're like a snowbird.  
You're flying away.  
You're leaving for home now.  
What more can we say?_

_So dance...  
While the music still goes on.  
Don't let it be our last goodbye._

_Dance...  
While the music still goes on.  
This is no time for crying._

_Dance...  
Don't you hear them play our song?  
You know that we've been trying._

_Dance..._

-

* * *

-

A few hours passed before the dancing had finally finished and Goldie could get on her way. The others offered to accompany her to the doorway to Outer Space, but she made it clear that she'd had enough saying goodbye for one night. As Goldie made her trek up the tunnel, she could hear that last song playing slowly in her mind again and again. She really and truly did not want to leave.

"But I have to," she thought to herself.

She ducked the large pipe and stepped up to the opening to Outer Space. It was dark already, and the room was really quiet.

Goldie took one last look back to the tunnel to her heritage, and then she finally resigned to her decision. With a sigh and a turn, she took the first step through the fraggle hole.

"Goldie!" called a voice from behind her, though it seemed almost whispering.

She stopped and turned back, recognizing immediately who the voice was.

"Boober..."

He stepped out of the shadows of the tunnel, almost like a puppy being punished. Goldie put her suitcase down on the ground so she could meet up with him.

He trembled as she approached, not quite sure what she was going to do. All he knew was that he needed to say something quickly.

"Goldie..." he paused before finally deciding to make his final plea, "Don't go... Please?"

She looked at the poor heartbroken fraggle in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Boober," she answered and took his hands in hers, "I can't."

"No, it's alright... I'm the one who should be sorry. It was selfish of me to think I could ever be more important to you than the ones who raised you. They need you... Much more than I do."

"Boober..."

_(Boober)  
When we first met, I never knew.  
That I would feel this way for you.  
But I do, and now I wish we had more time.  
I know there's nothing I can say  
To make you change your mind and stay.  
So instead I'd like to ask of you, that is if you don't mind._

"Ask of me what?"

_(B__oober)  
Don't forget me.  
If it's not too much to ask, it means the world to me.  
Don't forget me.  
It'll be enough to know you'll sometimes think of me.  
Don't forget me.  
Though you're going far away, your memory will stay.  
Don't forget me.  
Because I... will always remember you._

"Oh, Boober."

_(Goldie)  
You know, I can tell by how  
You are looking at me now,  
That my visit here was not a waste of time.  
But we both know I can't stay.  
I wish there was another way.  
But since there isn't one, there's something I want you to do for me._

"And what's that?"

_(Goldie)  
Don't forget me.  
It's the only thing I ask. Please promise this to me.  
Don't forget me.  
It's a simple thing on which I think we'll both agree.  
Don't forget me.  
Though I'm going far away, my heart will always stay.  
So don't forget me.  
Because I... will always remember you._

_(Both)  
Don't forget me.  
Because I... will always remember you._

"Well, I..." Boober stuttered, "I guess you'd better go now."

"Yeah..." Goldie replied as she started to step away, though not before quickly leaning over and giving Boober a peck on the nose, causing his face to turn nearly as red as his hair.

She picked her suitcase back up again and finally walked out the fraggle hole. Boober watched nervously from the opening as she walked across the workshop, around the workbench and out the door. All without disturbing the hairy monster sleeping soundly in his doggy bed.

When there was no longer any sign of her presence, he turned away from the opening and sulked all the way back home.

--

* * *

-

* * *

-

_**Song Credits:  
**__- Dance (While The Music Still Goes On)—by Abba, mildly altered  
- Don't Forget Me—by Gold Demona_

-

* * *

-

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

**The Fraggle From Outer Space  
Chapter 18**

"Wembley, this is the start of a new way of life for me."

Boober was hard at work finishing up the cleaning in his room, and Wembley was hard at work helping him, which mostly involved holding anything Boober handed to him and stacked up in his arms. It had taken them a couple days to fully remove all trace of his burst of rage.

"A new way of life?"

"That's right, Wembley. I wake up, do some laundry, make myself a meal, go for a walk and go to bed."

"Uh, Boober. That doesn't sound like a new way of life to me. It sounds just like your old one."

"Yes, but the difference is that I've given myself a new motto: Stay away from girls."

"Uh... ALL girls, Boober?"

"That's right. All of them. I never want to see a single girl for as long as I live."

"But, Boober... Aren't half the fraggles in Fraggle Rock girls?"

He paused and looked at his confused greenish-yellow friend.

"Therein lies the snag in my new lifestyle."

_(Boober)  
You can't live with 'em.  
You can't live without 'em.  
There's something irresistible-ish about 'em.  
You grin and bear it cuz the nights are long.  
I hope that something better comes along._

"Aw, come on, Boober. You can't do this to yourself forever. I mean I miss Goldie, too, you know? She was a really neat fraggle."

"You don't understand, Wembley. You couldn't possibly understand. There isn't a single fraggle in the entire Rock who could understand what I'm going through right now."

"Well, maybe not, but I do know one thing."

_(Wembley)  
It's no good complaining  
And pointless to holler._

_(Boober)  
If she's a beauty she'll get under your collar.  
And then she'll leave you with an old sad song._

_(Both)  
I hope that something better comes along._

_(Wembley)  
Hey, I don't mean to plead here,  
But at least you still have me here.  
We're buddies through thick and thin._

_(Boober)  
Look, I know you're only trying,  
But there's no use in denying.  
I wish I could hide from all this hurting inside._

"Well, I don't know much about this sort of thing, Boober, but I do know that it's not good for you to stay like this. You need to try and feel happy again."

"That's a lot easier said than done, Wembley."

"What do you mean?"

_(Boober)  
As much as I'd like to,  
I can't seem to do it._

_(Wembley)  
That's why I'm here, so I can  
__Help you get through it._

_(Boober)  
How could a love so right have gone so wrong?  
__I hope that something better..._

_(Wembley)  
I hope that something better..._

_(Both)  
I hope that something better comes alooooooooong._

At song's end, they were done cleaning, and the room was back as it used to be before the mess was made. Boober let out a sad sigh.

"Is there anything I can do, Boober? Anything at all. Just name it."

"I don't know, Wembley. I don't think I know anything anymore."

Wembley noticed a beat up brown paper bag still lying on the table and picked it up.

"Hey, you forgot to get rid of this old bag. Wow, I can't believe you've kept it this long. Look at all these holes it's got now."

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Boober shrieked as he snatched the bag away from a frozen and very confused Wembley.

Boober gritted his teeth and growled as he clutched the bag in his hands, making Wembley step slowly backwards away from him.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Boober. I didn't know it meant that much to you."

"It means EVERYTHING to me!"

"Uh, Boober, don't you think you're being just a little bit silly about all this?"

"No! This is the only thing she left behind! It's all I have left of her! If I lose this, I lose everything!"

"Well, you know what? Fine then! Be that way! I was just trying to help my best friend feel better, and this is the thanks I get?! Getting my head bitten off over a silly little bag?! Well, I've had it, Boober! Just go ahead and.. and sit around and-and... and be miserable all day! I quit!"

And with that, the greenish-yellow fraggle with the banana tree print shirt stormed out of the room and down the tunnel to his own room.

Boober seethed for a moment after Wembley left. After he finally realized what had happened, he gasped and then let out a frustrated groan, feeling guilty about having just lashed out at one of his closest friends.

"Oh, what is the matter with me?!"

-

* * *

-

(A Little Later...)

"Well, I don't know about you," said Red, "But I think he's being a big baby."

"You shouldn't be so hard on poor Boober," said Mokey, "I mean after all, he did just lose the one dearest to his heart. He must be going through so much pain and turmoil right now."

"Maybe so," said Gobo, "But that doesn't mean he should go taking it out on the rest of us. Wembley, will you sit down and quit pacing?"

Red and Mokey were hanging out with Gobo in his room while he lie on his bed strumming seemingly random melodies on his guitar. Wembley had just stomped in a few minutes ago and started pacing in circles around the room.

"I'm sorry, Gobo, but I can't stand it. If I don't try and help him, I don't feel good, but if I DO try to help him, he'll yell at me and I STILL won't feel good."

"Hey, we're all worried about 'im, too, eh. But right now what Boober needs is space."

"If they'd sung the Song of the Forever Promise like they were supposed to," Red added, "He wouldn't be having this problem. She'd have to stay with him no matter what."

"Yeah, what she said," Wembley agreed. "Then Goldie wouldn't have left, and Boober would still be happy."

"You're both forgetting one very important thing."

Red and Wembley looked to Mokey in confusion, wondering what she could've meant.

"Don't you remember how Goldie was before she left?" she continued, "She looked so sad. I don't think she wanted to leave either."

"So it'd be safe to say that she's probably just as miserable as he is right now," said Gobo. "Wherever she is."

"Exactly," said Mokey. "It's going to be hard for both of them. When two fraggles fall in love, and they're meant to be together, they form a strong bond that allows them to sing together, even when they're far apart. If that happens to Boober, then I'm afraid there won't be any comfort for him."

There was a long and awkward pause after that. The four fraggles let out various sighs and groans as they thought of what to say next. Then an idea struck Gobo as he reached into his vest pocket and pulled out his uncle's latest postcard.

"Hey, maybe this'll help lighten the mood a bit," he said and then began to read the postcard, "Dear Nephew Gobo, How's Goldie doing? I hope her time in Fraggle Rock has been enjoyable so far."

The four of them frowned. Gobo shook his head and looked back down to the postcard.

"I've been having quite a time here in Outer Space lately. Why, just the other day, I..."

-

* * *

-

_Why, just the other day, I found myself wandering a most peculiar series of caves. It was a very cold cave with some of the most peculiar rock formations I've ever seen._

Traveling Matt Fraggle was a fraggle of tan fur and white hair and mustache, sporting full hiking garb and an explorer's helmet. He wandered lost in the seemingly endless cooler of a dairy packaging plant, filled with several pallets of various boxes all filled with different dairy products.

_With my keen sense of direction, I had no trouble at all finding someone to guide me through to safety._

"Oof!" he grunted as he bumped right into a large remote-controlled forklift.

"Oh! Begging your pardon, sir," he said to the forklift as he got up and brushed himself off. "I'm terribly sorry. I seem to have lost my way. You wouldn't per chance happen to know of a way out of here, would you?"

The forklift began to beep as it began to move in reverse.

_The creature spoke a strange language, but I managed to get the basic idea of what he was saying._

The forklift turned around and began to make its way down one of the rows of pallets.

"Ah, thank you, good sir."

Matt followed the forklift down several rows until it stopped and turned to one of the pallets.

_But before the creature would help me, he wanted me to first help him. Naturally, being the good-hearted fraggle I am, I could not refuse my service to him. And let me tell you, Nephew, that this creature bore remarkable strength. It lifted the very rock formation right off of the ground. An astonishing sight, if I do say._

The forklift then slipped its forked pronged beneath the pallet and hoisted it a few feet into the air.

_As it turned out, the poor creature had lost his treasure beneath one of the rock formations and could not retrieve it himself. So, of course, I took it upon myself to retrieve it for him._

He ducked down beneath the pallet and picked up an empty plastic milk jug that had been crushed under the pallet. He crawled back out and showed the forklift what he had found.

"Did you lose this?" he asked the lifeless forklift.

The forklift again began to beep as it backed out of the slot, carrying the pallet it had just picked up.

_He was very thankful. He even allowed me to ride him. I'd made a new friend._

The forklift had turned so that the seat inside was revealed. Matt climbed up and sat on it, placing the crushed jug on the floor by the controls.

The forklift carried its cargo all the way to a large door at the end of the cooler.

_The creature brought me to a strange rectangular door. It had ridges and was the same shiny color as the walls of the cave. Then the door opened and revealed my ticket to freedom. It was a magic cave that would transport me somewhere else. I had seen these caves several times before. They are very cold inside, and they almost always provide food for the journey. I wish I could somehow find a way to control where it went so I could bring it to Fraggle Rock and show it to you._

What was beyond the door was the inside of a truck trailer, already filled with most of the shipment it was to carry. The pallet the forklift was carrying was the last one.

The forklift climbed inside and dropped the pallet. Matt jumped off and waved to his new friend.

"Thank you very much, my friend," he said.

The forklift beeped again as it began to back out of the trailer. When it was all the way back out of the trailer, the door shut again, locking Traveling Matt inside the trailer.

_It was apparent that my new friend was sad to see me go. I think he might've been lonely living in his cave all alone. But such is life, Nephew. Friends come and friends go. Life goes on, and so must we._

-

* * *

-

"I will write to you again soon. Love, Your Uncle Traveling Matt."

"Gobo, that was no help at all," said Red.

"But what is says rings very true," said Mokey, "Life goes on, and so must we."

"Well, that's easy enough for us, Mokey," said Wembley, "But somebody should try and say that to Boober."

"He'll figure it out on his own, Wembley," Gobo said, "Eventually anyway. Like I said, what he needs right now is space."

"Yeah, but for how long?" asked Wembley, "I mean, nobody's ever NOT sung the Song of the Forever Promise after falling in love before. What if he stays like this forever?"

"As difficult as it is to see him like this," said Mokey, "Gobo's right. He needs space. If we try anything it will only make matters worse for him."

"And for us," Wembley added. "Especially if he and Goldie sing together, even though they're not."

"Right," said Gobo, "Let's just let him be for now. If he wants our help, he'll come and ask for it."

--

* * *

-

* * *

**Song Credits:**

- I Hope That Something Better Comes Along—from The Muppet Movie, partially rewritten

* * *

-

* * *

--


	19. Chapter 19

**The Fraggle From Outer Space  
Chapter 19**

The house was very still that morning. The only sounds to be heard were the television in the living room and the occasional laughter of the silver-haired woman watching it.

The front door opened, and a small pale-yellow fraggle walked through it into the kitchen.

"Grandma!" she called, "Are you home?"

Confused, the woman picked up her new cane, hoisted herself up from the couch, and made her way to the kitchen, where a small furry creature ran up and hugged her.

"Goldie?" she greeted, "My goodness, dear. What are you doing back? Not that I'm not overjoyed to see you again, but I thought you were going to Fraggle Rock to live there. What happened?"

"Are you okay? Where does it hurt? Should you even be standing?"

"You got...? Oh dear, I knew I should've written you myself. I thought this would happen."

"What?"

"What exactly did your Grandpa write in his letter?"

"He said you fell down the stairs and was in the hospital."

Grandma rolled her eyes and lifted her long skirt, revealing a bandage wrapped around her ankle.

"If there's anything your grandpa excels at, it's exaggeration. I fell down one whole step and was in the hospital for a sprained ankle and a bruised arm. And I got this cane to help me walk until it healed."

"So... You're not in any serious danger?"

"No, dear. I'm afraid you left your new home for nothing more than a sprained ankle. You'll have to remind me to give your grandpa a good thrashing when he gets home. Sit down, dear. I'll get you something to drink. I'm sure you have much to tell about Fraggle Rock."

"No, Grandma," Goldie insisted and stopped her in place. "You sit down. I'll get YOU something to drink."

Grandma giggled and sat down as Goldie ran for the step ladder that was kept in the pantry. She dragged it all over and used it to reach everything she needed to make her grandma a pot of coffee.

-

* * *

-

(That night...)

Goldie spent the entire afternoon chatting with her Grandma, and then with Grandpa also when he got home from work.

She talked about everything she'd learned about fraggles, and all the other strange creatures she'd encountered along the way. It was particularly surprising when she told about the talking trash heap that was the fraggles' source of wisdom.

It was dinnertime now, and the conversation was still going.

"You know, Goldie," Grandpa said, "You've been acting kinda odd since you got back."

"Odd? How so?"

"He's right, dear," Grandma added, "You've been home all day, and I've yet to see the cheerful girl we raised and sent away."

"It's... It's complicated."

"It's a boy fraggle, isn't it?" asked Grandpa.

"Oh, is it?" Grandma asked, excited to hear the answer. "Come on, Goldie. Tell us all about him."

"Grandma..." she groaned and continued eating.

"Is he handsome? Is he romantic? Oh! Does he have gorgeous eyes?"

"Actually, I've never seen his eyes... He keeps them hidden under a hat."

"A-HA!" said Grandpa, pointing at Goldie, "So it IS a boy."

"Oh, our little Goldie has a boyfriend," Grandma giggled, "Tell us all about him, dear."

"Well... There's not really much to him, really. He's germaphobic, and he likes to do laundry and cook. He... He even made a big feast for me the day I told him I was leaving. I didn't get to eat any of it."

"You didn't want to leave him, did you?" asked Grandma.

"May I be excused?" Goldie asked and pushed her chair back.

Grandma and Grandpa only watched as she hopped down from the booster chair and disappeared up the stairs.

As Goldie made her way upstairs, she could hear Grandma downstairs giving Grandpa a piece of her mind for the letter he wrote, especially after the conversation they just had with Goldie about her boyfriend.

Goldie walked down the hall and into the room she had called her own for much of her life. Everything was just as she'd left it. Even the large cardboard box by the wall full of stuff she was getting rid of. She shook her head and laid down on the child-size bed, setting her suitcase beside it.

She rolled over on her back and stared up at the ceiling for a moment to let her mind wander. It wandered to Fraggle Rock and everything she left behind there. In particular, it wandered to the one fraggle she missed the most.

"Boober..." she sighed to herself.

She remember the day they first met. The look on his face when he ran away, and that silly paper bag she used to help him gather that rock soap.

"I wonder if he still has it?" she thought, smiling at the thought.

She sat up, realizing rather quickly that she wasn't going to get to sleep anytime soon. Not if her mind was going to keep going in that direction. She got up from the bed and went over to the window, looking up at the night sky.

_(Goldie)  
Somewhere out there,  
Beneath the pale moonlight,  
Someone's thinking of me,  
And loving me tonight._

-

* * *

-

(At that exact same moment...)

Boober was out at the Gorgs' Garden, lying ontop of the large rock that was the entrance to Fraggle Rock.

_(Boober)  
Somewhere out there,  
Someone's saying a prayer,  
That we'll find one another  
In that big somewhere out there._

-

* * *

-

_(Goldie)  
And even though I know how very far apart we are,  
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star._

-

* * *

-

_(Boober)  
And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby,  
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky._

-

* * *

-

_(Both)  
Somewhere out there,  
If love can see us through.  
Then we'll be together.  
__Somewhere out there,  
Out where dreams come true._

-

* * *

-

"Goldie?" Boober called, looking around him for a voice he thought he heard. "That's odd... I could almost swear she was right here singing with me..."

He let out a sigh and began his long climb downward.

"Wonderful," he groaned, "Now I'm delusional. That's just what I need. How can things possibly get any worse?"

"GOTCHA!"

"AHH!!" was all Boober could get out as a giant furry tan hand wrapped around him and lifted his tiny body off the rock.

Junior, having heard the small fraggle singing in the night, had exited the castle in his radish-print footie pajamas and somehow snuck up on the tiny distracted fraggle.

"Heh heh-heh! I thought I heard a fwaggle out heuh!" the big brown gorg giggled as he dance his way to the lawn table, where he had a cage set up just for fraggles. "Dhere you go."

"Oh no, no, no, NOOO!!" Boober screamed as Junior locked him up in the cage, "LET ME OUT!"

"JUNIOR!" a voice bellowed from inside the castle.

A purple gorg walked out in a kingly cape flung over his royal pajamas and a silver crown atop his head. He was much shorter than Junior, only measuring up to the young gorg's chin. He had a frowned face and very squinty eyes.

"Junior!" he repeated, "What in tarnation do you think yer doin' outta bed, boy?!"

"Um... catching a fwaggle?" he answered, pointing the poor Boober clinging to the bars in his cage.

"Drat and duderonomy, Junior! Nighttime's for sleepin', not catching fraggles! Now hurry up and git back to bed before yer mother gets out here. You can play with the fraggle tomorrow."

"Alwight, Pa," he whined and shuffled past his gorgly father. "See you tomorrow, liddle fwaggle."

Boober let out a whining sigh as both gorgs disappeared back into the castle. He leaned his head to one of the bars.

"Somebody help me..." he whined.

-

* * *

-

"Boober?" Goldie called, looking around her for the voice she thought she heard.

After realizing what she was doing, she rolled her eyes and flopped back down on the bed. But somehow, she couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.

She got up again and went downstairs to the living room. Both Grandma and Grandpa were in there watching television.

"Grandma?"

"Yes, Goldie?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine, dear. Why do you ask?"

She hung her head. She began to think that perhaps this something that was wrong was somewhere else and not here.

"No reason."

She went all the way back to her room, and noticed something odd over by the wall, where the large cardboard box was. There was a bright glow beaming from behind the box.

Goldie walked up to this box, which was much bigger than she was, grabbed one of the sides, and began to pull on it. There was so much stuff in the box, it made it very difficult to get it to budge.

"Grandpa!" she called as she kept trying to pull the box away. "Grandpa!!"

She heard heavy footsteps approaching as she continued pulling on the box. Then her Grandpa rushed into the room.

"What is it, Goldie?" he asked as he walked in, and then he noticed the glow from behind the box. "What on Earth is that?"

"I don't know. Help me pull!"

Grandpa grabbed the box and dragged it aside, revealing the source of the glow, which happened to be a fraggle-sized hole in the wall.

"What in the world..."

"What is it, dear?" Grandma called as she finally caught up with them, then she too noticed the hole in the wall. "How in blue blazes did that hole get there?!"

"It's a fraggle hole!" Goldie announced with excitement, "It goes to Fraggle Rock! I know it does!"

"But we're on the second floor," Grandpa pointed out, kneeling beside the hole. "How does that lead underground?"

"It just does, Grandpa."

She looked up at the amazed expressions on her grandparents' faces. She jumped up and hugged her Grandpa because he was closest.

"I can go home," she sobbed.

He smiled and nodded as Grandma came down to join in the hugging.

"Come back and visit us, okay, Goldie?" she said, "Bring us your boyfriend, sometime."

"I will," she sobbed and laughed.

She ran over and picked up her still unopened suitcase. She ran back to the hole and gave her grandparents one more hug.

"I'll see you soon."

And with one last set of goodbye hugs and kisses, she turned to the hole and ran right in. Her grandparents smiled as their adopted child once again left to go home.

--

* * *

-

* * *

**Song Credits:**

- Somewhere Out There—from An American Tale

* * *

-

* * *

--


	20. Chapter 20

**The Fraggle From Outer Space  
Chapter 20**

It was early morning in Fraggle Rock, and everyone was still asleep. Everyone that is, except for four fraggles.

Goldie, being a light sleeper, was awakened by the sounds of these four fraggles conducting a very noisy search. She got up from her remade bed and made her way to the Great Hall, where the sounds seemed to be centered.

-

* * *

-

"Any sign of him yet?" asked Gobo as he arrived at the Great Hall.

"Not a thing, Gobo," Red answered as she walked in.

"I couldn't find him, either," Mokey added.

"Me neither," whined Wembley. "And I've looked in every place I thought to look and in most places I didn't. He just isn't anywhere."

"He's gotta be somewhere, Wembley," said Gobo, "Fraggles don't just vanish into thin air."

"But it just doesn't make any sense," said Red, "Where else could he be?"

"Ung, what's going on, you guys?" she yawned as she walked in behind Wembley.

"Oh, hi, Goldie," Wembley greeted casually while the other just sort of stared in amazement, "See, Boober's been missing since last night, and we've been trying to find him, and since--"

He stopped talking for a moment when he finally realized who he was talking to.

"GOLDIE!" he yelled, "You're back!"

There was a clamor of voices as the four of them rushed up to greet her.

"When did you get back?" asked Mokey.

"Last night," Goldie answered, "But everyone was asleep, so I just went to my room, unpacked, and went to bed. What's this about Boober being missing?"

-

* * *

-

It was late in the morning when five tiny fraggle heads popped up from inside the large rock, peering out to the garden.

Slowly and quietly, they tiptoed to the gap in the stone wall, careful not to alert the goofy brown gorg happily watering his vegetables.

While they were still safely hidden behind the wall, the five of them glanced around for any sign of their missing friend.

"Hey, look!" Whembley whispered as he pointed to something on top of the enormous table.

From the angle they were at, all they could see was the top of what looked like a wooden cage.

"That's probably where Boober is," whispered Goldie.

"There's only one way to find out," whispered Gobo, "Goldie, you think you can-- Wait! Goldie!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Goldie rushed out from behind the wall and around behind the distracted gorg, stopping only to hide behind one of the table legs.

"She's gonna need all the help she can get," Gobo said to everyone else, "Come on."

As the others made their way to the table, Goldie had already climbed most of the way up the table leg. All this time, the clueless Junior Gorg was busy watering the garden.

Goldie grabbed the edge of the table as she finally reached the top of the leg and heaved herself up. And there, curled up in the corner of the cage, was Boober.

"Boober!" she whispered as she ran over to the cage.

Boober sat up and looked over to Goldie as she ran up to the cage.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Goldie!" he called and met her at the bars. "Oh, no. Now I'm seeing things! It wasn't enough I was hearing your voice last night. Now I'm hallucinating!"

Goldie smiled at him as she leaned her head through the bars and kissed him. His whole body stiffened, and his tail stuck straight up.

"What's she doing?" Red asked as she and the others watched form below.

"I don't know," said Gobo, "I can't tell from down here."

"Guys, we've got trouble," said Wembley as he pointed to the gorg, who had just finished his watering.

Goldie finished kissing and smiled.

"That real enough for you?"

"...You're real," he whimpered, his face turned as red as his hair, "You're really here."

"We can worry about that later. Right now we have to get you out of here."

"Goldie! Look out!"

She was about to turn around when a large hairy hand surrounded her and grabbed her from the table.

"AH!"

"Oh boy! Oh boy!" said Junior as he started fumbling around with the cage, "I caught anoduh fwaggle! Dis must be my lucky day!"

He quickly opened the cage, tossed Goldie in with Boober, and shut the cage before either of them could get out.

"Heh heh heh," Junior chuckled as he disappeared into the castle, "I'll be back to play wit' you in just a moment, liddle fwaggles."

"Come on!" said Gobo as he started climbing the table leg, "We've gotta help!"

The others followed suit and started on their way up.

"Ow..." said Goldie as she sat up from her tossed position. "Dang, that hurt."

"Are you alright, Goldie?" asked Boober as he helped her get back up.

"I'm fine. A little bruised, but fine."

"Goldie, what are you doing back? Weren't you needed with your family in Outer Space?"

"I found out that I was needed here more."

She smiled at him, and tears started to fill his eyes as he smiled back. Then he practically tackled her as he leapt into her arms, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm so glad your back!" he sobbed.

She hugged him back and leaned her head on his.

"Me too. And this time I'm staying."

"I hope you don't mean staying in that cage," Red said as the others finally arrived at the cage.

"Yeah, because that'd be kind of strange," Wembley agreed.

"Aw, but Red, isn't it beautiful?" said Mokey, "The sight of two young fraggles reunited by the winds of true love."

"Yeah, it's really nice, isn't it?" Wembley agreed.

"Well, I think it's time for the winds to blow us all home," said Gobo.

"Yeah, back to Fraggle Rock," said Wembley.

"That sounds good, but how do we get out of here?" asked Goldie. "That latch is too big for any of us to be able to move."

"Don't worry," said Gobo, "I've got a plan. All we have to do is push the cage over so it falls down and breaks."

"Say what?!" Goldie and Boober replied in unison.

"Trust me. It'll work."

The others followed Gobo and formed a line beside him, ready and waiting.

"Ready?"

"Not really," said Boober.

"Go!"

They all ran at full speed and shoved the cage with all their strength, sending it teetering on the edge of the table. Goldie and Boober held onto each other and screamed as it went tipping over the side and fell with a crash on the ground below.

They both then got up and shook off the adrenaline rush.

"That..." Goldie started, "Didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would."

"You'd be amazed at how often a plan like that will work," Boober replied.

"Alright, we did it!" called Wembley as the four of them climbed back down.

Just as they were about to celebrate, a pink gorg in a robe-like dress stepped out of the castle and spotted them.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!" she screamed and jumped up onto the nearest chair "FRAGGLES!! PA! JUNIOR! COME OUT HERE AND GET RID OF THESE FRAGGLES!!"

"Come on, let's get out of here!" said Gobo as they all wasted no time in running away.

"Fear not, oh queen and lovely wife!" announced the purple gorg as he jumped out from the castle wielding a sword and shield, "Your beloved husband and King of the Universe shall protect you from all who invade our kingdom! JUNIOR! Come out here and thump these fraggles!"

"Coming, Pa!" Junior said as he stepped out of the castle and then let out a gasp, "Hey, my fwaggles are gone!"

The young gorg's parents looked around to find that the fraggle were in fact gone from sight.

"He's right," said Pa, "The enemy has fled and the kingdom is once again safe. It's safe to come down, my little radish dumplin'."

"Ugh, those horrible little creatures disgust me," said Ma as Pa helped her down from the chair. "Junior, the next time you insist on catching a fraggle, PLEASE don't keep it where I won't see it."

"Yes, Ma."

-

* * *

-

(Many Many Days Later...)

It seemed every fraggle in the Rock was gathered at Firefly Cavern that day. The only empty space was at the very center of the cavern, where Boober and Goldie stood, hands joined and eyes unwavering. Standing beside them was a very wrinkled and bald gray fraggle with bushy white eyebrows, a stringy white mustache, and a beard that went down to his knees. No one knows what his name used to be, not even himself. He was simply known to the fraggle community as The World's Oldest Fraggle.

He stood at their side, with his walking stick in hand.

"Aheh-heh-hem," The World's Oldest Fraggle began, "Now then. Uh, we're all gathered here today to witness these two fraggles, um uh... These two uh..."

"Goldie and Boober!" Yelled the olive green fraggle beside him.

"I was GOING to SAY that!" the old fraggle retorted and smacked the green fraggle upside the head with his stick. "Uh, Goldie and Boober, as they sing the uh... The uh..."

"The Song of the Forever Promise!" the green one yelled again.

"Stop interrupting me, Henchy!" the old one yelled and smacked again.

"Ow! Sorry, Sir!"

"Now where was I? Oh yes. The Song of the Forever Promise. You may proceed!"

_(__Goldie)  
Life is full of sweet surprises. Every day's a gift.  
__The sun comes up and I can feel it lift my spirit._

_(Boober)  
Fills me up with laughter. Fills me up with song.  
I look into the eyes of love and know that I belong._

_From this day on, a promise true  
That I will always be with you.  
There's nowhere else, I'd rather be  
Then having you, my dear, forever hear with me._

_(Goldie)  
I promise you, that as we live  
I'll always comfort and forgive  
From this day on, that's what I'll do.  
Forever we will stay together me and you._

_(Both)  
Let us always love each other_

_(Goldie)  
Looking to the light_

_(Both)  
Let us hear the voice of reason_

_(Boober)  
Singing in the night_

_(Goldie)  
Let us run from anger_

_(Boober)  
And never lose our way_

_(Both)  
Forever we will be, Together we.  
This is how we'll stay._

_(Boober)  
Let's fill our lives with playful years_

_(Goldie)  
With noisy games and joyful tears_

_(Both)  
I reach for you, and every day  
Until forever, dear, together we will stay_

_I reach for you, and every day  
Until forever, dear, together we will stay_

The two love-struck fraggles pulled each other close and nuzzled. Then a storm of static filled the screen as the video ended.

"That's so beautiful," Grandma sobbed, holding Grandpa's hand as they sat on the couch watching the video. "I'm so happy for her."

"Our little Goldie's all grown up," Grandpa agreed.

-

* * *

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* * *

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**Song Credits:**

- The Song of the Forever Promise— somewhat rewritten from the song "Bless Us All" from "A Muppet Christmas Carol"

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	21. Epilogue

**The Fraggle From Outer Space  
Epilogue**

"Alright, Sprocket," said Doc as he knelt down beside his bedridden dog. "I'd say it's about time for those bandages to come off."

"Rrr-rr-rrrrrr..." the gray dog groaned through his bandages.

"Yes, yes, I know it's been a day or two longer than recommended," he replied as he removed his dog's bandages, "But it's better to be safe than sorry. Those porcupines really did a number on you. There you are. Good as new. How are you feeling."

"Ar! Ar! Ar!" Sprocket barked happily as he ran a few circles around his owner.

"Heh heh heh, well, I hoped you learned a lesson from all this."

Sprocket stopped his circling to pantomime his answer, barking as he pointed upwards.

"Just because," Doc translated as he watched.

"Rar ar roo roo," Sprocket cupped his front paws down in front of his.

"A creature is smaller..."

"Arrr arr," he pointed to himself.

"Than you are..."

"Rar rar," he shook his claw left and right.

"Doesn't mean..."

"Rau Rau..."

"It doesn't..."

"Ar! Ar! Ar!" he clutched his arm and face.

"Hurt like the dickens when it hits you."

"Hurrr..." he groaned. "Rah rah rarroooooooo!"

Doc chuckled and rubbed his old dog's head.

"Heh heh heh, leave the wilderness to the wolves, huh? That's alright, Sprocket. I'd prefer having a scruffy old dog like you over a wild wolf any day."

"Raarr, Ar! Ar!" Sprocket barked happily and licked his master's face.

-

* * *

-

(Ending Scene)

_(Boober and (other fraggles))  
I work hard. (He works hard!)  
Every day of my life.  
I work till I ache my bones._

_At the end, (At the end of the day)  
I take home  
My hard earned pay all on my own._

_I get down (Down!)  
On my knees (Knees!)  
And I start to pray  
Till the tears run down from my eyes, Oooh!_

_Somebody, (Somebody)  
Oooo, somebody, (Please)  
Can anybody find me,  
(...anybody find me,)__  
Somebody to love!_

_(He works hard) Everyday, (Everyday)  
I try and I try and I try!  
(...try and I try and I try!)  
But everybody wants to put me down.  
(Ooooooooooooo...)  
__They say I'm goin' crazy.  
(Ooooooooooooo...)  
That's right, got a lot of water in my brain!  
(Aaahhhhhhhh...)  
I've got no common sense.  
(Aaahhhhhhhh...)  
I've got nobody left to believe.  
(He's got nobody left to believe!)_

_(Yeah yeah yeah)_

_Got no feel, I got no rhythm.  
I just keep losing my beat. (You just keep losing and losing)  
I'm ok, I'm alright. (He's alright, he's alright)  
Ain't gonna face no defeat. (Yeah, yeah)  
I just gotta get out of this prison cell.  
(Ooooooooo, this prison cell!)  
Someday I'm gonna be free, Oooooh  
(Someday I'm gonna be free, Oooooh)_

_Somebody, (Somebody!)  
Oooo, somebody, (Please!)  
Can anybody find me,  
(...anybody find me,)_

_Somebody tooooooooooooo...  
looooooooove!_

-

* * *

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* * *

-

**Song Credits:**

- Somebody to Love— by Queen, cut version

**Songs I Wanted To Use In The Fic, But Never Got The Chance:**

- All You Get From Love (Is a Love Song)— by the Carpenters

- I'm Never Alone— From the episode "Boober Rock"

- Party Hard (Who Knows What You See?)— From the episode "Boober's Dream"

- Dear Boober— rewritten from "Dear Prudence" by the Beatles

- I've Just Seen A Face— by the Beatles

- Sweet, Sweet Little Treat— from the episode "Red-Handed and the Invisible Thief"

- Femininity— from the Disney movie "Summer Magic"

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End file.
